Abbigayle Poirier: Artful Storyteller
This RBC art professor illuminates the importance of light and color for captivating storytelling.
By Sterling Giles
Abbigayle Poirier, Art Professor at Richard Bland College and gifted oil painter, is a lover of the art of paint—not only what it represents.
“I’m not a painter because I want to paint narratives,” she said. “I’m a painter because I’m interested in paint.”
Poirier defines herself as “a figurative landscape painter inspired by folklore, personal narratives and dreams.” However, how she creates her art is a bit unorthodox—she combines printmaking and painting techniques by using a gelli plate to create mono prints on wood panels. She blends realistic and fantastical elements in her work, often incorporating borders inspired by medieval manuscripts. Her paintings focus on capturing light, color and personal interpretations of scenes, rather than strictly adhering to hyperrealistic representations.
Poirier’s talent has taken her places near and far. Next January, she will be attending the Green Olive Arts residency in Morocco, which welcomes top artistic talent from around the world.
“I think about all the designs and colors in Morocco,” she said. “I feel like it will be really influential to my work.
“It could push things that I don’t have the answers to right now.”
Recently, Poirier had a solo exhibition in the Thyen-Clark Gallery at Jasper Community Arts in Jasper, Indiana. The gallery is roughly 70 miles southwest of Poirier’s graduate alma mater, Indiana University (IU). The school is heralded for its figurative art programs, which Poirier sought to master. She learned under esteemed artists Eve Mansdorf and Tim Kennedy, who together have taught at IU for more than a half-century.
Poirier developed an affinity for art around 12 years of age. She spent hours every day perfecting her drawing technique to “get as close to the photograph as possible.”
Today, she has largely abandoned this style and philosophy and opted for a more imaginative and figurative approach. This shift can be traced back to John Lee, one of her art professors at William & Mary, who opened her eyes to see the world in color, not just the black and white confines of hyperrealistic drawing.
Poirier scoured the landscape for inspiration and stumbled upon French impressionist painter Pierre Bonnard. She was drawn to how skillfully he used light and colors.
“I think ultimately, for me, painting is also about pursuing light,” Poirier said. “If you look at Bonnard’s work, he’s pursuing light and capturing its fleeting moments.”
Circling back to her time at Indiana University, one of her favorite memories was participating in the IU Prison Arts Initiative, which immersed incarcerated people in art.
“I was able to teach drawing and watercolor courses,” she said glowingly. “It was an incredible experience getting to teach the students and getting to know them.
“We also did exhibitions of their work in the local community. One of my students made comic strips and got published. For me, that was my proudest moment because it was awesome to watch him grow and build his passion for art.”
After graduating from IU, Poirier wanted her next move to be somewhere she could make a lasting impact. She wanted to teach at a modestly sized institution because she felt her teaching style would thrive the most in that setting. When Richard Bland College came across her radar, she seized the opportunity.
“I wanted to be in a student body where I felt like I could truly help students start to make some choices or start to feel like they have an understanding of what they want to pursue next,” Poirier said.
Her teaching philosophy centers self-discovery for her students.
“I come from the background of being taught art from observation,” she said. “How do you take a 3D world and then put it onto a 2D surface?
“I’m not looking at a student’s work and saying, ‘Oh, this good or this bad.’ It’s more ‘Are you grasping these bigger ideas about art?’ I want them to learn how they personally see the world—not an idea of the world, but truly seeing what is around them.”
Poirier, who has been teaching at RBC since the fall of last year and was recently hired as full-time faculty, has enjoyed working with the faculty and staff at the College.
“Since day one, I have been met with a smile,” she said. “There’s a strong community here, which can be difficult to find at some colleges.
“I have made good friendships here with colleagues, such as Dr. Kalota Stewart and Dr. Adam Zucconi, who I know I can count on for endless support and advice.”
Over the course of her artistic journey, Poirier has learned the importance of being malleable. She cautions against having preconceived ideas about art because it stifles growth. She imparts this same wisdom on her students.
“You have to be willing to let go of your ideas and what you think is correct, or what you think is best, and just be a sponge—soak everything up,” Poirier said.
