When you open your eyes, sensational paintings will bring back to life some passages of the lady’s travels. Without really knowing where North and East are, references to concrete places exhort oil stains here and there. Djinn’s abstract canvases will make you want to relive the colors of a forgotten memory or talk about an unlikely encounter in a distant land. Between the corridors and the closed rooms, in the intimacy of the old Scottish presbytery of 1929, you will have the desire to prolong your visit again and again. Ginette Djinn Bertrand continues her mission to make culture accessible in the region. This artist’s residence is at the same time her place of living, of artistic work, an art gallery and a music salon.

**A little bit of history**

Having traveled around the world at least 3 times and spent more time abroad than anyone could conceive. It is impossible for us to measure what “I am proud of what I have achieved” really means. Djinn humbly omits to tell us about her many merits and awards throughout her career, perhaps to prevent us from imagining her as anyone else.

Painting came into her life years later. Her first painting emerged from her fingertips at an exhibition in 2001. From one painting to the next, the echoes of the movement of currents, rivers or stormy oceans are never lost on her. Djinn, who spent a large part of her childhood in Saint-Hippolyte, leaves us with a few lines of poetry written in the misty hours: “The sound of the whales, the sound of my footsteps in the water, which opened my eyes to the magnificent light that envelops our world.” Of all the sensory blends of the various art forms Djinn has practiced throughout his life, it is probably painting that most attests to her belonging to marine life.

In a sincere sharing of anecdotes and adventures, behind the lines of old age hanging in her eyes, the essence of this great woman will touch your heart. And perhaps this happy visit to the Scotstown center will inspire you to give a new twist to your next expedition. Could it be her wisdom or her eclecticism that will leave a lasting impression on you?