“Que Du Bonheur” – 48” X 36” – Acrylic and other materials on canvas.
What a great honour it was to paint Aline Denis-Lessard. This lady symbolized and still echoes the appreciation of each unique and small moment. It is for this reason that I entitled this painting “QUE DU BONHEUR” (Nothing But Happiness). Communicating LOVE with her precious ones was her mission in life. Her family was what she cherished the most in the entire world. Other than her sons’ Patrick (Brigitte) and Alain, her favourite son-in-law Sylvain, she treasured her grandchildren Alexandre and Maxime and her great grandchild Rafael. Unfortunately, she did not have the chance to meet the latest arrival, baby Jade, born a few weeks ago. The blackboard on her left represents the new generations.
Knowing that she had a hard time to accept someone who could not manage French grammar as well as herself, I decided to tear off a page of a French exercise book on the pronominal form. Also, the conjugation of the verb TO LOVE in every tense is missing in our Bescherelle (French grammar reference book). If you look in the background, you will find a dictionary on the shelf; I could have illustrated LE PETIT ROBERT (brand of French dictionary) but decided to choose LAROUSSE (other actual brand and playing with words / meaning: the red haired lady) to honour our muse’s hair colour. Next to the dictionary, you can see an iron that characterizes thousands of shirts that she ironed to “pay” for her room while visiting in Boucherville (her son Alain’s home). She was a proud lady who always followed the latest fashion trends. She would dress to the nines only to get to the post office. The dress that she wears on this canvas is the one that she wore until the last moments of her life. Note that a portion of fabric of this actual dress is on this piece.
On the table, you can catch many important items. In foreground, her favourite rosé from Provence: Pétale de Rose (bottled year 1942 – her birth year), some of her own writings and other words.
I give you the challenge to discover statements that symbolize the life of Aline Denis-Lessard.
- « LA VIE EST BELLE »– her favourite perfume.
- « Dis au Bon Dieu que c’est dimanche et qu’il peut venir te chercher » – (tell God that it is Sunday and he can come and get you) : from Celine Dion’s song.
- « Le temps que l’on prend pour dire je t’aime : c’est le seul qui nous reste au bout de nos jours »
- (Time that we take to say: I love you, is the only one left at the end of our life). Gilles Vignault
- « Que du Bonheur » (Nothing But Happiness) – Her favourite words.
I have to thank her son Alain for trusting me to immortalize Aline. It was a great opportunity to tell my “Auntie” Aline: I love you again and again. I hope that her presence will be felt each time you will glance at this piece as I feel it is one of my most sensitive and unique works. Also, don’t forget to greet her, tell her good morning, good night and most of all, raise your glass to her life lived to its fullest. Thanks, SAMSON!