St-Joseph se rechauffe

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Québec in 1953. Lives in Québec, QC. The journey that leads the artist to canvas is one through nature. As a child he found himself scouring through fields and forest on the Côte de Beaupré in the Québec region, sleeping under the stars, which he still does when cycling and canoeing from the Eastern Townships to Cap Breton.  In his twenties, as a waterfowl hunter his territory expanded from Abitibi to Iles aux Grues and to the Gaspesian Peninsula.  Graven images were naturally gathered throughout the kilometres roamed during his outdoor adventures. Training retrievers introduced him to competitions where sculpted birds were awarded as prize.  These sculptures attracted him to pursue the art form for approximately ten years.  Art brought him to see nature in a different light to the point where chisel and brush definitely replaced the rifle.  He then participated in national and international decoy sculpting championships which won him a few ribbons.  During the same period, his artwork was shown in both galleries and symposiums. His motivations to live in intimacy with nature would unavoidably nurture a secret conviction: one day I shall be a painter

The road traveled as a nature lover, hunter and sculptor brought along his route various artists, namely Jean-Louis Courteau, also a hunter, with whom he developed a friendship beyond all bounds.  The former would become a source of answers to his many queries, a critical eye, motivation when in doubt, his mentor. Claude Dorval portrays that anything is possible when driven by passion, persistent toil and a determination to better