Doris Charest

Unlike most artists with a born talent for the arts, Doris Charest was taught to see. Usually people have no background in art being able to draw the average stickman with clothes. As a society we admire the talents we don’t posses ourselves. That changed for Doris Charest when she was brought to her neighbor's painting class. Enjoying the experience, she soon ventured into the world of art. After sampling the class in watercolor, she then tried numerous mediums before choosing her favorite, acrylics. They dry fast which is excellent for multimedia. “I do a lot of mixed media” Mixed media usually deals with multiple layers, the faster the layer dries the more layers that can be added on.

Charest (1956) has completed a total of 5 murals, 2 of which lie in Legal. It began in Edmonton with a french association. “I tried it and it was fun, it was just like painting something, but big” Charest was to paint The honey bee from her hometown Salter, Alberta. The project was a community mural for the francophones. Her art style is described as trendy looking yet simplified forms. Charest enjoys putting subtle symbolism in her paintings. “So people find something new every time they look at it. That way its always a surprise” “A mural”, she says, “takes about 2-3 months to complete” but the work is spread so evenly throughout the period that theres only a 2-3 weeks of solid work. The research and sketch to create the mural takes longer then the actual painting of the mural. Her inspiration comes from Diego Rivera a famous Mexican mural artist, “He was the king of murals” She dreams of traveling to Mexico City to see his work with her own eyes.

Not only has she done murals, but has her work displayed in 3 galleries and has won best in shows. Charest has also won an award from the Federation of Canadian Artist. She is credited for her bachelor in education and a degree in fine arts. She is currently working on a masters degree. This St Albert resident has a family of 4, a boy and a girl both attending university. As a part time job she teaches one class of art at Facultée St Jean in french every week.