SHEVLIN — Sometimes a person takes a break from art, but that doesn’t mean they stopped being an artist. That’s something Isabelle Harmon discovered when coming back to one of her passions growing up: painting.
She was surrounded by art at a young age. Her father loved to paint, her brother was a painter, and her sister is an artist as well. She was also inspired by her teacher when she was 14 years old.
“He was a very magnetic character. He and I got along like a house on fire, as they say," Harmon said. "He appreciated what I did and gave me a lot of tips and hints and I thought, ‘Yes, this is what I want.’”
Her journey to Northern Minnesota is an interesting one. She was born in Qatar in the Persian Gulf, then lived in Iraq, eventually landing at a French school in London. She moved to France and lived for the next 24 years. She attended a French art school but said she had to step away from art to find work.
She worked in a variety of areas, and in 1995 moved to Quebec as a general manager of a company that had rock saw trenchers for rent. These are large machines that trench into rock and lay fiber optic cables at the same time. A company in Shevlin rented them and that’s how she met her now-husband.
“You have to have a good reason to leave Montreal to come to Shevlin,” Harmon said.
During all this time, Harmon did not paint. It wasn’t until she retired in 2018 that she picked up a brush again. “I thought this is now or never... This has always been my passion. I want to get back into it.”
She didn’t pick it up again as if no time had passed. The creating side of it comes naturally to her, but there were techniques she had to refamiliarize herself with. “As soon as I started delving into that, it was just an ‘aha moment,’ as they say.”
Her favorite subjects to paint are landscapes and waterscapes, and there is so much in Northern Minnesota that inspires her, especially the fall.
“Fall for me is the most beautiful time of year with all the colors and absolutely color is my thing. I love color. I love a variety of textures.”
“I live down by Itasca State Park and we're really out with nothing. Just surrounded by nature and for me, it's just a wealth of inspiration and information that I can draw for when you create a new painting,” Harmon said.
When her schedule gets too busy to paint, it doesn’t mean the inspiration stops for Harmon. She will make sketches of things she sees or takes pictures to paint later. She also gets pictures sent to her for commissions as well.
Having been around the world, her travels have inspired her art as well. She is very taken by the Impressionists. It also made her want to paint water scenes whether it’s the sea, lakes, rivers or waterfalls.
“I think every artist wants to show a feeling of some sort. A lot of people say, ‘Ohh, art, I don't know anything about it... and I can't critique something because I don't know anything about it.’ I think that's wrong," Harmon said.
"I think you're either touched by a work of art or you're not. You like it or you don't like it. And I think when somebody paints with passion, that's what they're trying to convey ... a mood, a feeling.”
To fellow artists who may have also hung up their brushes, Harmon has some advice:
“Never give up. If it's in you, it's still in you.”
Harmon added that inspiration can be found everywhere.
“And there's so much around here that can help you get back into painting if you want, or creating... Can be anything you are surrounded by. Help helpful people and don't be afraid. Keep that passion going," she said.
People can find Harmon’s work and order commissions through her website.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
