Armand Tatossian was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1951. Art was in his blood. His grandfather, and namesake, was a painter and curator of the Alexandria Museum of Egypt. His great-uncle was Armenian landscape painter and Post-Impressionist Yeghiche Tatossian. The passion was passed through the generations to his father, painter Charles Tatossian, and finally to Armand.

He was introduced to art at the age young of six, when his grandfather took him to a beach with a sketch pad. At a young age, he became the assistant to Adam Sherriff-Scott, helping him restore his older murals. Sherriff-Scott refused to pay him, offering to teach the young artist instead.

Tatossian was the only student ever to be accepted by Sherriff-Scott. He was made to study John Ruskin's The Elements of Drawing (1857). Sherriff-Scott insisted that his student work on careful and precise drawing. Tatossian also studied with the Serbian sculptor Jose Majzner.

In 1970, Tatossian travelled to Paris to study. There, he met Bernard Buffet and Jansem (Jani Semerdjian) and famed French painter and lithographer Jean Carzou. He attended the Academy des Beaux-Arts, but dropped out, and instead, decided to study mural techniques at Carrarra Academy in Italy.

In 1973, he became the youngest member ever inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy. He has taught at Loyola College and at Concordia University, and is best known for his impressionistic depictions of buildings and deep wood-inspired pieces.

A vibrant and rich colorist, his palette does not include the colour black. Most recently, his works deals with nature with more decision and more colour, exploring the way his canvas and paint record the light and affect the colour of the depicted scene. Engaged in recording sights and scenes in Montreal, he doesn't need to travel far from his studio in the city to gain inspiration.


Source:
absolutearts.com