A B.C. hockey legend and artist will soon open a new gallery in downtown Parksville, appropriately named Gallery 35.
Richard Brodeur (No. 35) has been painting professionally for more than 30 years, known in particular for his nostalgic paintings of backyard hockey rinks reminiscent of childhood memories.
Before he became known as “King Richard” for his goaltending heroics in the Vancouver Canucks’ underdog run to Stanley Cup Final in 1982, Brodeur had already caught the painting “bug.”
His early inspiration came from meeting the artist Claude Picher and painting together on Picher’s farm.
Brodeur learned some of the basics of painting, as well as the importance of finding his own style.
“He said at one point ‘stop asking questions’. I’m very nice with way I’m saying that because there’s a few swear along the way. He said, ‘You know how to paint just find yourself and find the colour of your heart’,” Brodeur said. “It took me a while, but I understood it’s like, don’t paint like him, don’t paint like the teacher – paint like yourself.”
The hockey paintings came later, he said, and he started with landscape, contemporary and a bit of abstract.
It was during a class at a gallery in Fort Langley, when he was told to paint “something on ice and snow” that prompted Brodeur to draw on childhood memories of the backyard rink his dad used to make.
He has sold his famous hockey paintings across Europe, and even to buyers in Asia and Australia.
“It is childhood memories and for people they remember nowadays the life is so different. There was a more simple time then, right?” Brodeur said. “We played outdoors. We didn’t have computer, we didn’t have games, we played outdoors. And I think there’s a lot of people through Canada refer to that, ‘Yeah, I remember it was like that when I was young’.”
Brodeur also paints a lot of more abstract, contemporary pieces. Often they are based on a person he sees, at a pub for instance, and wonders what they are thinking about.
Gallery 35 will also include a range of art from half a dozen other artists.
He says the gallery will be full of activity, serving as a venue for lots of events such as classes, paint nights, private functions, exhibitions and artist demonstrations.
“You got to stay up to par to what’s going on and make people come in – and want to come in,” Brodeur said.
“Yes, you have the tourists during the summer, but there’s not only the summer, there’s 12 months right.”
While he was a professional goalie in the NHL and WHA (World Hockey Association), he kept his love of painting to himself.
“When you turn pro it’s not something that you talk about a lot, because I mean you’re a goalie. For them, you’re crazy, right? And then you’re going to tell them you’re an artist on top of that? Yeah, no, I didn’t want the aggravation,” he said.
“I kept that for myself for many, many years. At the end of my career, guys started knowing it about about me, but not a lot.”
Brodeur played in all seven seasons of the WHA’s existence. When the league merged with the NHL, he briefly played with the New York Islanders, but soon found himself on the Canucks roster.
In his second season with the team, the Canucks made their improbable playoff run – and although they fell short of the Stanley Cup, Brodeur had secured his place in B.C. sports history.
“That year was kind of special because we weren’t expected to be there. And then we all put it together the last 10 games of the year and we start winning, winning, winning and then we got into the playoff,” he said. “We didn’t care about anybody else. We’re going to win this game.”
Another of his best hockey memories is the genesis of the “towel power” tradition, which began with Canucks coach Roger Nielson’s frustrated waving of a white towel on a hockey stick in mock surrender, a reaction to the officiating of a game in Chicago during the Campbell Conference Finals.
“It was one of my favourite games. Really, we lost, but it was one of my favourite games,” Brodeur said. “We won the series right there.”
After years of traveling for his art, he said it’s nice to be able to stay in one place near his son, Dan Brodeur, and paint.
“I’m really happy to be back,” he said. “It’s a great town and I need quiet in my life.”
Gallery 35 will open on May 30 at 129 Alberni Hwy.
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