A native of Montreal, Carmen began her formal art education at The Ontario College of Art and Design after a career in Information Technology.

She participated in several solo and group exhibitions in the Provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.  In 1997, she relocated to Vancouver Island.  She was a resident artist at The Old School House Art Centre for 3 years.

In 2003 and 2007, Carmen was invited by an International Jury to represent Canada at the Biennale Dell’Arte Internaziole Contemporanea held in Florence, Italy.

Carmen is a member of USA International Society of Experimental Abstract Artists and is an Active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.  She is represented by several Commercial galleries in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada.  Her works are found in private collections in Canada, USA, Europe and Japan.

ABOUT THE ART

My paintings are abstract celebrations of my admiration for the “unpredictable and inexhaustible record of life”.  The monotony of conventional rendering of geometric forms is abandoned through textured surfaces and rough contours.  In my passion to convey emotion, I intimately work my canvases both by applying and removing pigment to create a tactile quality.  Layer upon layer of vibrant colors dynamically emerge and recede within the canvas.  This juxtaposition of presence is what gives the work its mood and quality.

I work from my home studio, continually exploring the potentials of self-expression through my abstract work.

© 2 0 0 6 All art work copyright by artist Carmen Mongeau