Eugene Poulin. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Painter.  St-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.

Eugene Poulin was a naive artist who sculpted people and animals in the world around him.

In his interview for “Les Patenteux” he said that he had sold some of his work but most of it was given away to people he liked. He carved cultural figures like Seraphin and other characters from Quebec folklore, religious figures as well as others that came ‘out of his head’. His work was sometimes coloured and sometimes varnished. He made a very few paintings but said that wood carving was his strength. His carving style was distinctive; the people that he carved had elongated heads, slightly triangular with very strong expressions (his carving of  the ‘avocat Cliche’ looks very much like a neighbor of mine). Anyone with an unsigned work by Eugene Poulin  will have no trouble recognizing the artist’s work from his carved faces. He rarely signed his work.

Ref: Les Patenteux du Qubec. Louise de Grosbois, Raymonde Lamothe and Lise Nantel, Les Editions Parti Pris, Montreal, 1978.

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

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

Antonio Leclerc. Sculptor. Model boat builder. Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec. Son of Eugene Leclerc. As the oldest of the children, Antonio was the principal assistant to Eugene Leclerc. He suggested ship models to build It was his idea to create framed half-hull models with rigging and sails.

Lucien Leclerc. Sculptor. Model boat builder. St.-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.

Lucien Leclerc was the son of Eugene Leclerc, the founder of the company in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec. When he was young he worked (with the rest of the family) on his father, Eugene’s, model ships. Lucien worked especially  on the accessories of the models; barrels, lifeboats and cargoes and such things. Later in his life he made his own models; taking over the business in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli.

Eugene Leclerc. (1885-1968) Sculptor. Wood carver. Sailor. Model Boat maker.  St.-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec.  Active from 1931.

Eugene Leclerc began building ship models after a ship board accident forced his retirement.  From the very beginning his models were sought after. By 1933 he was building them full time and had the help of his entire family.

Antonio Leclerc; made the smaller ones; “les petits goelettes canadiennes”.                                             Bernadette Leclerc: made sails and rigging.                                                                                                             Lucien Leclerc: made the boat accessories (barrels, lifeboats etc. on the decks of the models).       Paul Leclerc: the youngest at 9 years, made the lead castings for the anchors.                                           Madame Eugene Leclerc: was the expert at finishing and varnishing as well as mounting the                                                                      more  important sails and rigging.

The early pre-war models were full of color. With brightly painted hulls and accessories.

It is interesting to note that in the 1930’s they made every part of their model ships; from the lead anchors to the sails.

Eventually Lucien Leclerc took over the model business. (In the early 1950’s it was possible to by a kit of a wooden Leclerc model and make your own.)

An image from the period (in an issue of Modern Mechanix in 1936):

Eugene Leclerc and his family of model ship builders. 1936.

A link to an illustrated PDF history of the Leclerc family and their model making:

https://cotedusud.chaudiereappalaches.com/fichiersUpload/fichiers/20151210110435-88-leclerc.pdf

Honore Hebert. Sculptor. Wood carver. Montreal, Quebec. Active 1930’s.

Honore Hebert. His mark has been seen on a primitive relief carving of a Quebec house in a summer country side.  It is painted in ‘as found’ colors and signed: ‘Honore Hebert, Montreal, Canada with the date on the reverse. (It is similar in age to another ‘Hebert’ relief carving mentioned on this data base.)