Marina Dieul

Home: Montréal, Québec
Title: Le défi
Media: Huile sur panneau / oil on panel
Dimensions: 76 x 61 cm

I’ve always been interested in figurative art. My major influence is the Italian Renaissance.

My creativity expresses through constraints, and that’s why I love challenging subjects like trompe-l’oeil. I also love to represent figures because the human face is one of the most difficult things to paint. All my works begin with a strong concept that I develop to keep only the essential elements.

My goal is not only to paint a recognizable person, at a moment of her life, with her history, her psychological complexity, but also to paint this person as a human being in which everybody can recognize himself or herself. I tend to go beyond the simple representation to reach an allegory of humanity, using sometimes symbols to achieve this goal.

Recently, a predominant presence of babies and toddlers appeared. They are often forgotten in contemporary realism although they were very present in the paintings of the past centuries. I think they are fascinating human beings, who live fully strong emotions, and express them with a rich body language. In my latest works the union of my different interests ( Trompe-l’oeil and Figure) occurred, opening a new door.

Born into a family of French and Canadian artists (her father’s uncle was the renowned Canadian painter Clarence Gagnon) Marina Dieul began visiting European museums at a young age. It was during these visits that she absorbed the talent of the great masters. She quite naturally followed her artistic vocation and completed her studies in Fine Arts in France. She received her diploma with distinction, the jury recognizing in particular the quality of and commitment to her work

Her focus is primarily Still Life, Trompe-I’Oeil and Portraiture. Her mastery of painting techniques allows her to go beyond mere likeness to express the interiority of her model. The portraits of Marina Dieul are distinguished by their sensitivity, grace and harmony. She is especially known for her babies and toddlers portraits, powerful and delicate at the same time.

She has been commissioned by many notables, including Baron Empain’s family, and Général Bée’s family.

The artist has lived and worked for some years now in Montreal.

She is a member of the Portrait Society Of Canada, the Portrait Society Of America, the Canadian Society of Classical Realism, Honorary member of the Drawing Society of Canada, and Juried member of the International Guild of Realism.

People’s Choice Award (Kingston, Wolfville, Toronto, Calgary)

AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS:
2009 Honorable Mention + 4 works finalists in the Art Renewal Center’s 2008/2009 ARC Salon.
2009 Author of an 8 pages article in the International Artist Magazine.
2009 Fine Art Connoisseur Best of Show Publisher Award, in the IGOR juried exhibition.
2009 Grand Prize in the Portrait and Figures competition, Canadian Brushstroke Magazine.
2008 Second place, International Competition, Portrait Society of Canada,Toronto.
2008 Finalist in the People & Figure competition, International Artist Magazine.
2008 « Somme » is chosen to be published in the upcoming North Light Books publication: Strokes Of Genius 2. ( to be published in 2009)
2008 Finalist in the Canadian Brushstroke Magazine « All about light » competition.
2008 First prize, People and Life category, Masterpiece Elite Salon Contest.
2008 Finalist in the Art Renewal Center’s International 2007 ARC Salon.
2007 Finalist in the People & Figure competition, International Artist Magazine.
2007 Grand Prize, Junction Art Festival, Toronto.
2007 Two trompe-l’oeil finalists, The Artist’s Magazine 24th Annual competition.
2007 Finalist Portrait and Figure category, The Artist’s Magazine 24th Annual competition.
2007 First Prize, dry media category, Richeson Portrait and Figure Competition. Juror: Everett Raymond Kinstler.
2006 Honorable mention, International Competition, Portrait Society of Canada, Toronto.