Christiane Desbiens. Sculptor. Wood carver. Berthierville, Quebec. Active late 20th century.

Christiane Desbiens began carving when she retired in the 1990’s. She makes Angels and birds, especially Roosters. She often uses ‘as found materials in her work and she possesses a very fine sense of colour. Christiane Desbiens always signs her work. She works with her husband (Pierre Favreau) who is also a sculptor. (See separate article.)

Jean-Baptiste Cote. Sculptor. Wood carver. Quebec, Quebec. Active mid 19th century.

Jean-Baptiste Cote is one of the earliest Quebec folk artists whose work can be identified.  He usually caved larger pieces, mainly religious works and historical figures as well as Cigar Store ‘Indians’ and ship’s figureheads. He carved smaller pieces for friends and family; birds and animals that he varnished and sometimes painted. The McCord Museum, in Montreal displayed a  painted carving of a Parrot by Cote from the Nettie Sharpe collection in 1976. See reference below.

Most carvings said to be by him are attributions only. A carving from the Marjorie Larmon collection shown below is an example of one such attribution.

A carving attributed to Jean-Baptiste Cote:

Jean Baptiste Cote. Attribution. Cigar Store Figure. 19th C.

A detail of the above carving:

Detail of the above.

A link to The Canadian Encyclopedia with an interesting article about the early Quebec carvings:

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sculpture/

Ref: Francois-Marc Gagnon. Vie des Arts. Vol. 20, No. 82, Spring 1976. “La Voliere Enchantee”.

Link to a PDF (in French)of the above article: https://www.erudit.org/culture/va1081917/va1186410/55033ac.pdf

Thomas Brisson. Sculptor. Wood carver. Weaver. Saint Gervais, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.

Thomas Brisson made wood carvings and also was a weaver. He was first mentioned and collected in The Canadian Museum of Civilization by Ethnologist Jean-Francois Blanchette. (See the link below.)

A link to the Canadian Museum of Civilization. ‘Du Coq a Lame’:

http://www.museedelhistoire.ca/cmc/exhibitions/arts/art-quebec/art-quebec2_1-f.shtml

Ref:  Adrien Levasseur. Website. And:  Sculpteurs en Art Populaire au Quebec, Editions GID, Quebec. 2012, Vol. 2.

Ref: Jean-Francois Blanchette. Du Coq a l’ame:l’art Populaire a Quebec, Presse Universite D’Ottawa, 2014.

Ref: Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies of the National Museum of Man, From the Heart:

Folk Art in Canada, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, c1983.

Gaston Bernier. Sculptor. Wood carver. Montmagny, Quebec. Active mid to late 20th century.

Gaston Bernier was a bird carver. He has carved every kind of bird seen in Quebec. Often flat-plane carved, they are always beautifully coloured and well mounted on pieces of ‘as found’ wood from the forest or the Gulf. His work is usually signed: ‘G. Bernier and often with the date.

A Cardinal bird by Gaston Bernier:

Gaston Bernier. Montmagny, Quebec. Carving of a Cardinal bird.

Gaston Bernier. His mark:

Gaston Bernier. His mark.

Ref: Adrien Levasseur. Website. And:  Sculpteurs en Art Populaire au Quebec, Editions GID, Quebec. 2012.

Roland Beaudet. Sculptor. Painter. Wood carver. Leclercville, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.

Roland Beaudet started carving and painting after retiring. His work included every kind of subject from farm life to wild life as well as boats and ships. His work showed both humourous  and classical themes, often mixing the two. Sometimes his carvings were coloured but often they were not. He has been collected by The Museum of Civilization in Quebec.

Ref: Adrien Levasseur. Website. And:  Sculpteurs en Art Populaire au Quebec, Editions GID, Quebec. 2012.