THE ARTIST

The artist who talks to animals

Under dim lighting in her studio, its walls covered with sketches of majestic animals, Cécilia PELISSIER delicately places her brush on black paper. Before her, a snow leopard comes to life beneath the delicate nuances of her white watercolor. Each brushstroke seems to breathe a soul into the animal, as if she were seeking to immortalize its essence before it disappears forever.

"When I started, I didn't know that my art would become a commitment to a greater cause," she confides, her gaze lost in the details of her watercolor.

An unexpected path to art

Born in Corrèze in 1987, Cécilia wasn't always an artist. Her career path took her from accounting to aesthetics, from numbers to beauty, before a deeper need pushed her to change direction. "I loved these professions, but I was missing something... a true connection to my passion," she explains.

Her first brushstroke was almost an accident. One day, she tried watercolor on black paper, without much expectation. What she discovered then overwhelmed her . "The contrasts, the light bursting out of the darkness... It was like a revelation." Since then, she has never let go of this unique technique, where each animal she paints seems to emerge from the shadows, ready to tell us its story.

Painting for conservation

But Cécilia's art isn't just about aesthetics. It carries an urgent message. "I want my works of art to provoke a reaction. Every animal I paint is threatened, and we have the power to act."

While at an exhibition, a woman stopped in front of one of her paintings of an orangutan. She stared for a long time, then whispered, "It looks like it's begging us to help it." This moment remains etched in the artist's memory . "If my art can awaken an emotion, an awareness, then I have accomplished my mission."

A vision for the future

Today, Cécilia’s participation in exhibitions and art gatherings is multiplying. She knows that each watercolor is an opportunity to raise awareness. "I want to paint again and again, to grow this project, and to reach a wider audience."

She lovingly turns to her nearly finished leopard painting. "Art has immense power. It can inspire hope."

And, under her skillful fingers, the last touch of light comes to uplift the animal, like one last breath before eternity.