Acadian-born Richard Savoie spent part of his childhood by the sea and is still inspired by the sounds of its many moods, from the gentle lapping of waves on the shore to the thundering roar of surf whipped by a wild wind.

Now he uses colour to capture these sounds from his childhood. Like Baudelaire, he is fascinated by the parallels between colour and sound and is inspired by their similarities. A fervent pastellist, he talks passionately of his art. His reverence for pure colour is almost religious and explains both his respect for colour and his desire to master all its nuances to better serve his art.

He is well versed in the theories of Eugene Chevreul, a 19th century chemist whose colour theories inspired many neo-impre...