Christine Whelan FEO, February 16, 2023, VOL. 4 ISSUE 13

 

On January 25, Vincent Verboncoeur received an Award of Artistic Achievement.

He humbly commented about it. “Yes, to my surprise. I have to say, the award was validation of all the years of hard work.” He explained, he became emotional over receiving the award. For him, the recognition meant more than people knew.

Art From The Start

Vincent shared the story behind that emotion, the meaning, and the hard work. It started in Niagara Falls.

“It actually began before I was even born,” Vincent remarked. “It started with my mother.”

He explained, when his mother was pregnant with him, she studied commercial art. “Through the nine months, she was pregnant, she focused on the next chapter of her life; what she was going to do.

“Before I was born, she said to my father, ‘We’re going to call him Vincent, like the artist.'” Vincent, of course, was referring to Van Gogh.

“After I was born, as soon as I could, I began colouring all over the walls. My mother couldn’t stop me. She would buy me colouring books but I would just fill them all up. She was constantly buying me colouring books to keep me from drawing on the walls,” he laughed.

“I didn’t know what it was. I just had to colour.”

The artist turned serious.

“But it’s two-fold because something else happened in 1978. It was life-changing.,” he began. He would have been nine.

“I had an accident and almost drowned in Lake Ontario, at the Municipal Beach in St. Catharines. It’s a public beach now but back then, there was a creek that ran into the side of the beach and it created an undertow. It was a no swimming area, but we were kids and didn’t care.” He continued to tell his story of a “traumatic drowning accident” while swimming with his brother and friend. The undertow had pulled him down.

When he woke up in the ambulance, he shared that he didn’t remember five or six minutes of it.

“I was brought back to life by a couple on the beach. I was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. During those five minutes, I felt like a fish underwater. I went from panic and absolute strength to complete calmness. It was like it went from Lake Ontario water to a light blue, a strong light that was bringing me in. This light, I cannot explain.”

Months following the accident, Vincent’s mom began noticing something about her son. “I was very intent on all these little things around the house. All these little things I never paid attention to before, I started to pay attention to more. And they started to show up in my drawings at an early age.”

He added, “Even the teachers were mistaking my work for work being done by kids in grades seven and eight.”

In 1978, he and his family moved up north, where his mom is from until his teen years.

“At the age of 18, I went to Italy for three weeks to represent Canada as an amateur,” Verboncoeur told his story, reflecting on his young age and his amazement. “I was just 18 and I just did this little drawing and the next thing I knew, it made all these levels and then I’m on a flight to Italy.” He laughed.

“We didn’t have much money but the school helped with some bursaries. I received a lot of support through the town.”

The artist says he is still well-known in the northern community where his mom is originally from. “A lot of my followers are from Cochrane, Ontario.”

His Medium: Pencil Works of Verboncoeur

Many of Vincent’s pieces are detailed sketches done with a simple pencil. I asked him how this choice developed.

“I think it’s because, when I was drawing when I was young, pencils were less expensive than paints. We didn’t have much money when I was a kid. I started drawing on the back of wallpaper because we didn’t have much paper in the house.”

A simple upbringing and using what he had, rising up into it, above it, could explain the artist’s humble character.

It’s the detail that stands out as Vincent’s specialty. “That’s what people are saying to me. Even internationally, this is what is being noticed — the detail.”

His Muse

We talked about his daughter, Lindsey, who I noticed when going through his portfolio, shows up often in his work. “She is a big part of this journey.” His voice tone changed, softened.

“It’s hard to find a good model these days. I needed someone to pose for some of my landscape pictures, which she did. And I did portraits of her at different ages in her life.”

He added, “I’ve always said, the biggest gift a father can give to his daughter is a memory of herself.”

There is also a large selection of pencil-sketched vehicles online. “I draw vehicles because there’s a connection with everyone. Everyone has a story to tell about their vehicle. One of my future ambitions is to have a calendar out using my drawings of vehicles.”

When Does It Become Work?

Verboncoeur remarked that, whenever he has ten minutes to spare, he grabs his notebook and pencil and begins sketching. And they’ve accumulated. “There are so many drawings.”

I asked him, when does it become work? “In my 20s and 30s, I did it for money. In my 30s and 40s, it became like work. When it becomes that way, I lose my passion for it.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to turn it around and realize, every piece of art has to be a masterpiece. It’s important to everyone who has a piece in their home that it’s a treasure to them. That connection is important to me.

“So, when I’m drawing pictures of people’s dogs and cats, ponies, racecars, cottages, the list I’ve done is enormous, it’s the connection element now that’s important.

“I can’t tell you how many people I’ve connected with through my art. The number is enormous. All races, all ages, all factors of life — because my art has drawn them to me.

“I’ve got families that have seven or eight pieces now because they can’t get enough. They tell me that some of the portraits that I’ve done are almost like I’ve brought the dead back to life. Some of my portraits are so life-like, I’ve had people tell me over and over again that the eyes follow them around the room.”

Vincent admits he can’t explain what has all transpired in his life.

“People ask me to teach and run workshops. But, how do I explain to people how my brain is wired?”

He admitted that, along the way and throughout the years, he has made some choices that were not in his best interest and not on the path of artistic success. Sometimes, the challenges were great.

One day, he faced himself with a pivotal choice. “You either have got to love yourself and believe in who you are or give up now because it’s never going to happen until you do.”

In looking at the world of art these days, Vincent commented, “What I’m realizing now is that the world has changed, too.” He talked about how art has changed over the years in so many ways and he is not digitalized as so many are now. He talked about the frustrations and disappointments over the years.

“But I don’t know how to quit. I want a happy ending.”

Vincent lived in Fort Erie until 2015 when he moved back to Niagara Falls where he currently resides. But he still works in Fort Erie and has a significant support system and now, a following.

The Pandemic Effect

Verboncoeur remarked that he used the downtime during the pandemic to spend more time on social media and move forward with his art, getting it out there. He now has been able to begin to fill his resume with his accomplishments in the last three years.

“I had more time to focus on my pictures. During the lockdown, I decided to take advantage of social media. I started putting pictures up just to see what people thought.”

Vincent began uploading decades of artwork, exposing himself to many.

“I’ve been building up quite a portfolio through the years. People have come up to me, ‘How do you find the time?’ I had to explain, this is 40 years of work.”

Falling Into Place

“I’m starting to believe in fate because everything is just starting to fall into place at the right time.

“Just when I was thinking, nothing’s going my way. Nothing’s going right. Then, boom. I’m getting into magazines. I’m getting certificates. I’m getting noticed. And I’ve been busier than I’ve ever been.”

“I’ve been to get my name out there, way out there.” He talked about the vast competition. “But I’m making gains. I made it into the Canadian Hot Rod Magazine.”

He’s been a member of the International Guild of Realism in the States since 2019. “I was almost ready to quit the Guild. It’s the top organization for realist artists from all over the world. They accepted me as a member. I’ve made the last three shows. So, I’m getting international recognition now.”

Moving Forward

He explained that he’s now come to a point where, like any other business, investment is required. “You want to get further in life as an artist? You have to spend money to make money. That’s reality.”

His attitude now is, “I figure, how much money do we spend on lottery tickets a year? Why not take a chance on ourselves?”

As an artist to other artists, Vincent wants to convey, “Don’t give up. Believe in what you do.”

Vincent is pleased to share, he is now very busy. He finds time daily to work on commissions. “There’s becoming a demand for my portrait work.”

“I went from being just occasional, here and there to consistent work. I have never advertised. It’s just been through friends and family, their associations.”

Vincent Verboncoeur, mobile artist, travels light. He has a little satchel he carries around with him. Whenever he has ten minutes to spare, he pulls out his pad and pencil, continuing to create in intricate detail, in a gifted manner originating from an influence that appears to have begun before birth, enhanced by what Vincent describes as a traumatic drowning experience.

Extraordinary.

Follow Vincent Verboncoeur on Facebook and on Instagram, @goodgreenart. His website is www.goodgreenart.ca where you can view Vincent’s portfolio, including his list of accomplishments and awards.

Photo by Vincent Verboncoeur