About

My name is André Notte (Andren). I was born in Belgium, but have lived in Montréal, Canada, for many, many years. I have been passionate about art ever since I can remember, and I have been drawing since age three. I never stopped, spending every free moment using pencils and paintbrushes, and doodling in class. In kindergarten, my teacher advised my parents to make sure I had a constantly supply of pencils and paper. In secondary school, I was one of a fortunate few to be selected for a new program in advertising art taught by Helmut Gransow, a Canadian artist who became my mentor. After graduating, I spent three years studying at l’Académie des Arts de Montréal. I began my career as an illustrator and cartoonist for a newspaper publishing house and worked on an extensive range of illustrations covering many topics from fashion to automobiles, among others. During this time, I also freelanced with personal clients on graphic designs, logos, illustrations, cartoons, and other projects. I transitioned from the editorial world to the advertising universe and worked for several agencies, first as a graphic artist and later as a creative director. After working for others, I finally created my own successful art studio in partnership with a friend. My influences? Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Bernard Buffet.