Florence Rivest is an illustrator with a passion for nature and art in all its forms. Her career has been marked by resilience and a constant quest for connection with her environment. Through her creations, she explores profound and universal themes, drawing inspiration from natural elements, human experience and personal development. In this interview, she tells us about her journey, her inspirations and her flagship project, Erre, which invites us to slow down and rediscover the link between art and nature.
Parle-moi de ton parcours et de ce qui t’a amenée à devenir illustratrice.
For as long as I can remember, drawing has been a way of expressing what I feel, especially at times when words fail me. It was a form of dialogue with myself, a way of understanding my emotions and letting them express themselves on paper.
However, the road to making a career out of it wasn’t easy. After my design studies, I freelanced in advertising for a few years. I soon felt that my values were being sidelined in my work. That’s when I started to question myself.
I knew it would be a long time before I could make a full living from illustration. I’d often been told that it’s almost impossible to make a living as an illustrator (in Quebec, anyway). So I started little by little. I accepted that success wouldn’t come immediately, and I didn’t put pressure on myself to make things work right away. Alongside my art work, I took jobs as a barista, which enabled me to support myself while keeping time to draw and create. This choice also offered me moments of human exchange, which I love, as my artistic practice remains rather solitary.
Today, after years of perseverance and hard work, I can finally say that I make a full-time living from my passion. It’s also the result of a deep conviction: if I work hard enough, it will eventually work.
La nature est une de tes principales sources d’inspiration. Quel rôle a-t-elle joué dans ton parcours ?
Nature has always been an essential part of my creative process. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had this deep connection with the natural elements. I find in them powerful metaphors that resonate with the human experience. For me, a tree, a leaf or a river can tell a story or reflect universal emotions.
Nature helps me to slow down, reflect and reconnect with what’s essential. For example, observing the unique texture of a tree trunk or the shape of a leaf teaches me to look differently, to get away from the hectic pace of everyday life.
As-tu d’autres sources d’inspiration ?
Yes, absolutely! At the moment, I draw a lot of inspiration from my own personal development. I’ve been working on myself through therapy, reading self-help books and even hypnotherapy recently.
These practices help me to understand myself better and directly influence the way I create. I believe that art is a way of capturing and translating what we feel inside. This introspective journey pushes me to integrate new dimensions into my canvases, which is a real challenge for me.
How would you describe your style or approach as an artist? Are there any themes or emotions that you always try to explore?
Mon approche artistique se caractérise par une grande sensibilité et une recherche de nuances. Je travaille avec des couleurs vives et saturées, mais je commence également à explorer des palettes plus subtiles, moins « percutantes ». L’idée est de créer une forme de beauté douce et contemplative, en cherchant à apporter un peu de lumière dans un quotidien souvent difficile. Ce qui est vraiment important pour moi, c’est d’inspirer la douceur, la compassion et le soin. Je veux que mes œuvres soient comme des fenêtres vers des moments délicats et apaisants. Même lorsque j’aborde des thèmes difficiles, comme mes propres expériences moins roses, j’essaie de les traiter avec beaucoup de nuance, de manière à ne pas choquer, mais plutôt à inviter à la réflexion, tout en préservant cette beauté visuelle.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, my work explores personal growth, a feminine vision of the outdoors, healing and the importance of nature in this process. These themes are very present in my work, which ranges from smaller, intimate canvases to larger, open formats. The smaller canvases represent more private moments of reflection, while the larger canvases embody an openness, a more fluid rhythm, like a development or evolution over time. These canvases are also a way for me to revisit difficult personal experiences, while highlighting the healing, rebirth and beauty that can emerge from these trials.
What were your intentions and expectations for this Livart residency?
I saw you mention your Erre project on your instagram, can you tell me about it?This residency was a real gift for me, a way of giving myself the space to create fully. Before this, I was working in a corner of my living room, with insufficient light, which was not at all ideal. Renting a bright studio, in an environment conducive to creation, enabled me to reconnect with my work in a more authentic way. It’s also an act of prioritizing my art and practice, a way of asserting myself as an artist. This residency gives me space, time to concentrate, but also the opportunity to meet and exchange with other creators, which feeds my own approach. It has allowed me to take care of myself and devote more time to my creation.
The environment allowed me to work on larger pieces, while exploring my predilution themes in greater depth. This work on healing and self-relationship intensified here, thanks to the space I had to experiment without pressure. Being able to work on canvases of different sizes also enriched this exploration, as I was able to experiment with different scales of visual narrative.
J’ai vu que tu mentionnes ton projet Erre sur ton instagram, peux-tu m’en parler ?
Erre is my love project, born of a combination of passions for nature and art. The idea came to me during the pandemic, at a time when I was thinking about what I really wanted to achieve as an artist. I asked myself: “If everything were possible, what would really make me happy?” And the answer was clear: to create a space where art and nature meet in an authentic way.
Erre’s concept is simple: invite people to slow down and reconnect with their environment by drawing or painting directly outdoors. My workshops and expeditions are designed to be accessible to everyone, from curious novices to seasoned artists. It’s not the quality of the drawing that counts, but the experience, the moment of contemplation and the discovery of the beauty that surrounds us.
I organize activities in a variety of settings, from urban parks in Montreal, to winter refuges, to summer canoe-camping expeditions. Each location offers a unique opportunity to refocus and open up to creativity. My dream would be to make this practice accessible to as many people as possible, and to continue building bridges between people, nature and art.
Can you tell us about your future projects or aspirations as an illustrator?
I’ll soon be moving to Vancouver Island, which is a big change. I hope to be able to find opportunities to exhibit there, even though I still feel a bit like an “imposter” as an artist, especially since a lot of my work is illustration. In the meantime, I’d very much like to organize a solo show, where I can present this current and very vulnerable work, which deals with my personal development and my journey through difficult experiences. This work is very intimately linked to healing and beauty, and I’d like to be able to share it more widely. I’d really like to take a step forward and exhibit in a gallery or within a more recognized organization. It’s a challenge I’m setting myself, to solidify my place as an artist in the field.
Is there a work or project of which you are particularly proud, and why?
It’s hard to choose, but two recent projects come to mind. The first is the illustrations I created for a website for caregivers. It was a deeply human and emotionally rich mandate. I created 15 illustrations on different aspects of caregiving, a world that helped me understand just how essential a role these people play in the fabric of society, often without recognition. The challenge was to depict complex and emotional themes, such as bereavement or exhaustion, with sensitivity and without falling into clichés or tragedy. It was an immense privilege to be able to address these realities and design visuals that spoke to the people who live them. The team trusted me completely, and the experience left a deep impression on me.
Un autre projet que j’ai adoré, bien qu’il soit dans un tout autre registre, est ma collaboration avec l’agence de design LG2 à Montréal pour le rebranding d’une marque de conserves de ragoût. J’ai réalisé des illustrations à la gouache réalistes pour les nouveaux emballages. Ce projet était à la fois technique et créatif, avec une attention minutieuse aux détails. Le fait que l’équipe de designers, parmi les meilleurs au Québec, m’ait engagée pour ce projet était incroyable. Leur exigence m’a poussée à donner le meilleur de moi-même. Ce qui est magique, c’est de voir mon travail en épicerie maintenant, partout. C’était aussi un rebranding audacieux pour cette catégorie, et d’avoir participé à un tel projet, c’est une immense fierté.