Arthur Bellemare. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Model maker. Saint-Gregoire, Cte Nicolet, Quebec. Active 1970’s -.

Arthur was a maker of miniature horse drawn vehicles. Vehicles, carriages and wagons of every kind. He preferred that all of his miniature model had moving parts – springs that worked leather upholstery, wheels that turned etc. He used ‘as found’ materials to achieve this. From metal to string to varnished leather. His models were also coloured. Bellemare also carved jewelry in peach stones. He made his models for his own pleasure and rarely sold them.

Ref: Jean Simard, Pour Passer Le Temps: Artistes Populaires Du Quebec, Gouvernement du Quebec, Ministere des Affaires Culturelles. 1985.

Emelie Chamard. Fabric artist. Weaver. Saint-Jean-Port-Joil, Quebec. Active early – mid 20th century.

Emelie Chamard (Nee Caron) was a weaver who specialized in weaving and designing linen fabric and clothing using traditional and modern designs. Born in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec, she became recognized for her contribution to the arts and crafts of the area. Along with the three Bourgault brothers she was a major contributer to the economic success of this artistic centre. She established a school where young people came to learn the traditional weaving techniques.

Ref: Gens de Bois. Woodenfolk. St-Jean-Port-Joli. Les editions Port Joli, 1975.

Ref: http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories/pm_v2.php?id=exhibit_home&fl=0&lg=English&ex=00000752

Ref: Pour passer le temps: artistes populaires du Québec. SIMARD Jean, Bernard Genest, Francine Labonté et René Bouchard. Québec, ministère des Affaires culturelles – collection Les publications du Québec, les Cahiers du patrimoine 17, 1985

Pierre Lemieux. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Saint-Fortunat, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.

Pierre Lemieux was a primitive artist. He was born and raised in the Shawinigan area of Quebec, and began wood working and carving at an early age. He discovered Sumac wood in the 1950’s and used its many colours and grain varieties in making applied relief carvings. His subjects were mostly Lumberjacks at work in the fields and forests around Shawinigan. He generally signed his work. Shown below is a painted relief carving by Lemieux.

A Lumberjack skidding logs with a horse by Pierre Lemieux:

Pierre Lemieux. Logging relief carving.

Pierre Lemieux mark in script. Lower right:

Pierre Lemieux. His mark.

A detail of this carving:

Pierre Lemieux. Logging. Detail.

Ref: Jean Simard, Pour Passer Le Temps: Artistes Populaires Du Quebec, Gouvernement du Quebec, Ministere des Affaires Culturelles. 1985.

Ref: Arts et metiers, Shawinigan Chemicals Ltd., Vol. no. 5, May, 1952.

T. Heinrich. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Montreal. Active 1940’s.

T. Heinrich was a flat-plane woodcarver. While he or she was an excellent flat-plane carver, signed works are very rarely found by this artist. Those that are found are pairs of Quebec people in traditional costume and they were carved in the Trygg manner. They are very well painted and signed on the base: ‘Hand Carved – T. Heinrich – Montreal’. Some examples are shown here. *

A carved and painted Man and Woman by T. Heinrich:

T. Heinrich. Montreal. Quebec Couple. 1940s.

The mark of T. Heinrich on the carved Man:

The mark of T Heinrich on the carved man.

T. Heinrich. Carving of a Woman knitting. 1940’s:

T. Heinrich. Carving of a Woman Knitting. 1940s

The mark on the base:

T. Heinrich. The Mark.

*T. Heinrich was one of several Quebec flat-plane woodcarvers whose carving careers seemed to have stopped sometime in the 1940’s or in a few cases the very early 1950’s. (The second world war may have been a factor for some.)

Alain Cadieux. Sculptor. Montreal and St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec. Active 2007 – .

Alain Cadieux refers to himself as an ‘ecosculptor’. He is a ‘patenteux’; and assembles sculptures using ‘as found’ materials, works that are often humorous and sometimes bear a powerful message. He works with anything and everything that he comes across, from discarded wood to machinery parts and his works can be very large scale. M. Cadieux is a self-taught artist.

I am giving a link to an article in French about Alain Cadieux and his work:

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/la-voix-pop/20160211/282230894740699