LyleElderFolkArt.com > An Index of Canadian Folk Artists

Aurore Benoit

Born: ? Active mid 20th Century.

Aurore Benoit. Textile artist. Maker of ornamental hooked mats in silk and cotton. Sainte-Madelaine de Saint-Hyacinthe. Quebec. Active 1920’s to 1950’s.                   Mademoiselle Benoit was a pioneer in the making of these fine ornamental hooked mats in Quebec. She was one of the few who signed her work (always with a /B hooked in a lower corner: the slash on the left was in red and the B in black).

Aurore Benoit worked with the ‘Cercle de fermieres’* at Sainte-Madelaine-de-Saint-Hyacinthe hooking Quebec scenes; many of them inspired (sometimes copying them) by landscapes done by Quebec painters such as Clarence Gagnon, Horatio Walker and others. Jean Palardy (see separate article) designed models for these hooking groups (he was commissioned by Henry Morgan & Co in Montreal). Designs for them to hook and sell at better galleries in Quebec and Ontario. They were extremely popular and sold at high prices. (See Image below of one of Jean Palardy’s designs.)

These artists had other help as well. Clarence Gagnon, when he was not in Paris, painted extensively in Charlevoix County and was involved with the traditional ‘metiers’ as well. His training as an artist was helpful to these artists in dying their silk fabrics and simply inspiring them to go further. (I have seen several of Aurore Benoit’s larger studio hookings that, from a short distance, I thought were Gagnon landscapes. These circles existed up and down the Gulf of St. Lawrence; Riviere-duLoup, Saint-Valerin, Notre-Dame-du-Lac and others. It should be mentioned that some members of the Charlevoix group of artists resented this copying.

*’Cercle de Fermiere’ is the Quebec equivalent of the ‘Womens Institute’.

A link to the Gallery and one of Aurore Benoit’s mats for sale:

http://lyleelderfolkart.com/gallery-artists/featured-works-of-aurore-benoit/

 

An image from the Gauvreau book of Mlle Benoit at work:

Aurore Benoit From Gauvreau Book.

Aurore Benoit. Hooking a silk and cotton mat.

 

A very fine signed Hooked Mat by Aurore Benoit. Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. C. 1950:

Aurore Benoit. Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Silk and Cotton Hooked Mat.

Aurore Benoit. Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Silk and Cotton Hooked Mat.

 

A Cotton on Burlap mat hooked by an unknown artist of one of Palardy’s designs:

Hooked Silk and Cotton mat from a Jean Palardy design. 500.

Hooked Silk and Cotton mat from a Jean Palardy design.

 

Detail of the label on the reverse:

Palardy design. Detail of the label on the reverse.

Palardy design. Detail of the label on the reverse.

 

Location:

Bill Kerr

Born: ?  |  Died: 1999

William ‘Bill’ Kerr. Sculptor. Kingston. Ontario. Active mid-20th century.

William Kerr was a primitive sculptor of people, especially characters from life, comic strips and situations; and even himself as ‘the wood carver’. Many of his works were stained and varnished and others were painted in strong and bright ‘as found’ colors. His work was powerful, sophisticated  and very tongue in cheek at times. His materials were ‘as found’; from wood to costume jewelry and high gloss house paint. None of his  works were ever sold during his life time. He died at the turn of the century (1999).

Shown are some examples. A painted work: ‘The Self-Portrait’. And a varnished work: ‘Old man with his dog headed cane and Pipe’. Both carvings mid 20th century.

 

Bill Kerr Self-portrait.
Bill Kerr Self-portrait.
Bill Kerr Carving of a man on a stump. resized.

Bill Kerr Carving of a man on a stump.

 

Bill Kerr. A Bejeweled Maggie; and of course Jiggs:*

Bill Kerr. Kingston, Ont. Maggie and Jiggs. 1970's.

Bill Kerr. Kingston, Ont. Maggie and Jiggs. 1970’s.

Bill Kerr. The Wood Carver with his Sign:*

Bill Kerr. KIngston, Ont. His Sign. C.1980.

Bill Kerr. KIngston, Ont. His Sign. C.1980.

Machine Gun Kelly by Bill Kerr:

Bill Kerr. Kingston, Ont. Machine Gun Kelly.

Bill Kerr. Kingston, Ont. Machine Gun Kelly.

* With permission. From a private collection

Location:

Fritz Frierichs

Born: 1912  |  Died: 2008

Fritz Frierichs.  Sculptor. Wood carver. Mallorytown, Ontario. Active late 20th century.

Fritz Frierichs made decoy carvings as well as ornamental bird carvings.

Location:

Robert Jardine

Born: ?

Robert  Jardine.  Sculptor. Wood carver. Moncton,  New Brunswick. Active 1980’s.

Robert Jardine carved animals and birds. Usually in paint. He signed with the initials: “R. E. J. on the base”

An example of his work. A Rooster by Robert Jardine:

Robert Jardine. New Brunswick. Carving of a Rooster.

Robert Jardine. New Brunswick. Carving of a Rooster.

 

His mark:

Robert Jardine. His signature.

Robert Jardine. His signature.

 

 

 

Location:

Scott Higgins

Born: 1968

Scott Higgins. Sculptor. Wood carver. Painter. Harrietsfield. Nova Scotia. Active late 20th century-.

Scott Higgins began carving when he was in his teens; carving painted works that focused on social commentary and whimsy. He generally titles his work and signs with the date. His work is powerful and full of colour. Scott Higgins stopped carving in the 1990’s and is now painting. He is collected widely, both privately and in Museums, and is cited in artscanada and the Journal of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

Ref: artscanada, Winter 1991.

Ref: Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).

Ref: The Black Sheep Gallery.

Location: