Henri Cote. Sculptor. Wood carver. Sainte-Therese, Quebec. Active mid 20th Century.

Henri Cote. Sculptor. Woodcarver and folk artist. St. Therese, Quebec. Active in the 1960’s. Mr. Cote retired from farming in St. Therese and began carving horse-drawn farm implements and wagons of every kind and type. His wagons were properly harnessed, painted and equipped.  The springs and wheels function. They were not primitive. Very rarely were they peopled or signed. He used oil based paints and often ‘as found’ materials. Many of his horses were mares with white ‘socks’.

Shown is an example of his work. A fine model of a buggy drawn by a mare with four white ‘socks’: Wood, metal, leatherette, shoelace, oil paint. (1960’s)

Buggy By Henri Cote, St. Therese, P.Q.

The Mare:

Henri Cote. Sainte-Therese, Quebec.

Albert Michaud. Sculptor. Woodcarver.  Painter. St.-Ulric (Matane), Quebec. Active mid 20th century.

Albert Michaud was a primitive sculptor and wood carver. He carved animals, birds and human situations using ‘as found’ materials and colours.  His work was  for sale at his house and along  the Gaspe shore. M. Michaud signed his work on the base in script. He was active from the 1960’s to the 1980’s.

Carving of a man on a Bicycle by Albert Michaud. Wood, fibre, metal string. 1970’s:

Albert Michaud. St-Ulric, QC. Carving of a man on a Bicycle.

A carved representation of St.-Ulric’s main street by Albert Michaud. Signed in script on the base:

Albert Michaud. Carving of Main Street, St-Ulric QC.

The mark of Albert Michaud:

Albert Michaud. His mark.

Leonard Croteau. Sculptor. St-Etienne-des-Gres, Quebec.  Active second half of the 20th century.

Leonard Croteau began carving when he was a teenager and his subject matter was just about every thing he looked at. Wild-life native to Quebec and around the world, birds and occasionally characters from film. He had a very strong colour sense and was a master carver. In his youth he was struck by lightning and the occasional lightning stroke or sig-zag found on a carving was a reflection of that. He will be missed. He carved always in Pine wood, almost always signed; and always painted his work. Shown below are some of his carvings and lastly is a mounting of birds by Leonard Croteau with his mark on the base. And the lightning stroke.

Shown here is a Bull Frog by Leonard Croteau (About 24 inches across):

A Carving of a Bullfrog by Leonard Croteau. St-Etienne-des-Gres, P.Q.

Holstein Cow by Leonard Croteau:

Leonard Croteau. Carving of a Holstein Cow.

The Croteau mark:

Leonard Croteau. His mark.

Squirrel by Leonard Croteau:

Leonard Croteau. Squirrel.

A carved and painted stand of four birds by Leonard Croteau:

The Mark on the base of the Birds:

Leonard Croteau. Cedar Wax Wing Bird Tree.

Rene Dandurand. Sculptor. Wood carver. Valleyfield, Quebec. Active late 20th century.

Rene Dandurand works in Pine and very occasionally Butternut. He often carves from single blocks or rounds of wood. After an early start with unpainted work his pieces were always painted by his wife and partner Julienne; an excellent coloirist. Rene Dandurand carves every aspect of the human condition and always with great humour. There is a joyfulness in his vision of people busy at their lives. His carvings are always evocative, charming and full of colour.  Rene Dandurand is certainly one of Quebec’s most talented artists. Some examples of his work (from the 1990’s) are shown below.

Two Men Plowing with an Ox. By Rene Dandurand:

Rene Dandurand. Valleyfield, Quebec. Plowing with an Ox.

Rene Dandurand. The Courting Couple:

Rene Dandurand. Valleyfield, Quebec. The Courting Couple.

Rene Dandurand. Boys Fishing:

Rene Dandurand. Valleyfield, Quebec. Boys Fishing.

Rene Dandurand. The Seranade:

Rene Dandurand. The Seranade.

Paul Archibald Octave Caron. Painter. Sculptor. B. Montreal, Quebec. Active first half of the 20th century.

While not an outsider artist, and better known for his paintings of Quebec traditional scenes, the skill and influence of Paul Archibald Caron as a sculptor, painter and woodcarver should be mentioned here on this site. Shown are examples of carvings and paintings by Paul Archibald  Caron. His work was exceptional  in style and in execution. They date from early in the last century and they clearly influenced the school of art in Quebec that we are all familiar with.  His influence can be seen in the works of many  Quebec artists over the years, as well as others who came to Quebec to create.  (Both ‘Folk Artists’ and more formally trained artists.) P. A. Caron carved and painted, on wood and canvas, many of the traditional scenes and images made familiar early in the 20th century by Edmond Massicotte and other ethnologists.

Two Carvings by Paul Archibald Caron:

Wood carvings:A pair of Quebec Figures by Paul Archibald Caron 1874-1941

The Habitant. Paul Caron. 8 inches tall:

The Habitant by Paul Caron. About 8 inches tall.

A detail from a painting by Paul Archibald Caron:

Paul Archibald Caron. detail of a painting.

Paul Archibald Caron. Detail of his mark on a Carving. Wayside Cross:

Paul Archibald Caron. Detail of his mark on a wayside Cross. C. 1930.

Paul Archibald Caron. Detail of a carving of a Fiddler:

Caron Fiddler. Detail.

P. A. Caron. Carving. ‘Hauling Logs’: 

Paul Archibald Caron. Wood carving. Hauling Logs. c. 1930.

A detail:

P. A. Caron. Detail of Hauling Logs.