Artist biography
Born in Quebec City, I was introduced to sculpture by my grandfather as a teenager. I discovered the pleasure of woodworking, but I gradually abandoned this activity for professional reasons.
After a busy professional career, I began dreaming about metal work without having any notion how to work this new medium. I even woke up at night imagining ways to make metal tree sculptures. I asked welding a specialist to give me a basic training, then I invested myself intensely in this new skill. A few weeks later, I realized my first tree. A little puny, almost sickly, this first tree was a great pride because I fore saw the trees to come. The next stage took time and effort, but the trees became sturdier, more furnished, more naturel looking.
Living in an inspiring environment, by a beautiful lake, in an agricultural region where nature envelops and nourishes, I set up my studio behind my home. I find myself in a cocoon surrounded by a beautiful hill that hosts thousands of flowers, plants, fruit trees and, especially, beautiful rocks that inspire me; rocks have become an integral part of my projects as iron combines with rocks and minerals to reflect my waking dreams.
My trees represent life’s strength and determination. The growth of a tree towards the sky requires perseverance, resistance and adaptation: a reflection of many human lives … Each new branch asserts hope and renewal.
I do hope that the emotions I feel when creating my pieces can be communicated.
Methodology :
I nurture my inspiration in many ways, but observing my surroundings is what
I love most. Sometimes, I’m inspired by photos or descriptions made by a customer, at other times, I’m inspired by a landscape or movies and television shows.
Then, I start out lining the structure of the work that is simmering in my mind. I begin with a cold preparation of metal parts to be used to define the structure of the peace. Then, I place and weld each piece one by one. As the work progresses, I refine my creation by adding details. Each branch is worked separately to create a bark-like form that imitates the lumpiness of a tree.
