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Mireille Duchesne


Mireille Duchesne was born in Normandie, France. She received a formal education at the Lycée of Le Havre, and a master’s degree from the University of Rouen.

As long as she can recollect, she always had a color pencil, then a brush in her hands. However, being an artist was not acceptable to her parents. So, in addition to her formal education, she took evening classes at the Beaux Arts.

As a former wife of a French expatriate, she traveled much and was exposed to various cultures and many styles of art.

When she moved to the United States, she took classes at the Pastel Society of America in New York and classes at The Art Students League in New York. She studied under Richard Pionk Gregg Kreutz, and David Leffel, and Frank Arcuri at his studio.

She is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, artist member of the Salmagundi Club in New York, active member of the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, and member of the American Society of Traditional Artists.

She has received numerous awards for her pastels as well as her oil paintings, among others, at the Pastel Society of America, the Salmagundi Club and the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club.

Duchesne is a teacher at the Katonah Art Center.

Trained as a classical painter in the tradition of chiaroscuro, light and dark, Mireille is always very excited by the interaction of these two elements but color is also her passion. As she stated, “Dark and light colors are the main actors of my paintings, they play together to give the audience pleasure, joy, and energy. If I have succeeded to incite these feelings, my goal as an artist is fulfilled.”