Marc Duquette
United States
As a child, I drew everywhere and on everything, constantly copying comic books, action figure packages, and images of professional sports stars. From a young age I knew I wanted to be an artist. I was also involved in many sports as a child. When I entered high school, my focus switched from artwork to wrestling. This continued as I competed in college and after, training for Senior National level events and the US World Team trials. While in college, I began coaching wrestling at a local club, later for a community college, and finally at a high school. I have found that many of the hard lessons I learned from wrestling can be translated directly to being a professional painter.
In 2000, I decided to go back to University to pursue an art degree. After graduating from SUNY Buffalo State College (B.A., Art) in 2002, I attended several workshops and continued to study on my own for the next 8 years. I was then introduced to the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto, and fell in love with it. I drove to Toronto several times a month for nearly 7 years to study the Academic method and tradition of drawing and painting. By acquiring the skills necessary to achieve a level of competence in painting and drawing, I can justly create the images I need to make. I am committed to continually pushing myself to learn and grow as a painter, striving to make the next work better than the last.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
