Heart and Soul – Quebec Folk Art

Autobiography of Nettie Covey Sharpe

Meeting the Artists

I like to meet the artists [whose work I buy]. I was astonished to see that a man like Philippe Roy — a blacksmith by trade, with such big hands — was able to make delicate sculptures with fine details, like the pair of reindeer. And it’s always very interesting to get to know the man himself, and where and how he lives.

I also spent a great deal of time with Olivier Lefebvre. He had a way of telling me very nice stories about the characters he carved. They had all existed. He had known them personally, and tried to carve them based on his memories — like the couple Alfred and Fraisine Lambert of La Prairie. I spent hours with him, listening to his stories. He was a true storyteller. He was also a musician; he played the fiddle. In his family, they often had big parties. He told me all kinds of things like that.

It’s important to learn more about the lives of these artists because,
if we don’t, one day it will be too late.

 
Gallery
  • Nettie and Maria Laplante Joyal - Archives, 2002-F0008.6
    Nettie and Maria Laplante Joyal, a rughooking artist, July 1985
    Wesley Mattie
    CMCC Archives
    2002-F0008.6

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  • Nettie and Henri Lajeunesse - Archives, 2002-F0008.7
    Nettie and carver Henri Lajeunesse, October 1985.
    Wesley Mattie
    CMCC Archives
    2002-F0008.7
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  • Nettie and Léo Fournier - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.3
    Nettie, visiting sculptor Léo Fournier at his home, 1993.
    Photo from Hi8 video shot by David Covey
    CMCC Archives
    2009-H0015.1.5.8.3
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  • Léo Fournier - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.4
    Léo Fournier, 1993.
    Photo from Hi8 video shot by David Covey
    CMCC Archives
    2009-H0015.1.5.8.4
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  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.5
    Nettie, with a moose sculpted by Henri Lajeunesse. She had just given the animal, which she had baptized “Big Louis”, to her nephew David Covey
    Photo from Hi8 video shot by David Covey on July 14, 1993.
    CMCC Archives
    2009-H0015.1.5.8.5
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  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.6
    Nettie and her nephew David Covey at the Caillette dairy bar in Maskinongé, 1981.
    Robert Schneider, courtesy of David Covey
    CMCC Archives
    2009-H0015.1.5.8.6
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  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.7
    Nettie visiting the sculptor Lessard, 1981.
    Photo courtesy of David Covey
    CMCC Archives
    2009-H0015.1.5.8.7
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  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.8
    Nettie visiting sculptor Lessard in his studio in 1981.
    Photo courtesy of David Covey
    CMCC Archives
    2009-H0015.1.5.8.8
    Next >
  • Nettie and Maria Laplante Joyal - Archives, 2002-F0008.6
  • Nettie and Henri Lajeunesse - Archives, 2002-F0008.7
  • Nettie and Léo Fournier - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.3
  • Léo Fournier - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.4
  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.5
  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.6
  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.7
  • Nettie Covey - Archives, 2009-H0015.1.5.8.8