Leo Ayotte Information & Leo Ayotte Links at HealthHaven.com

Leo Ayotte (October 10, 1909 in Sainte-Flore, Mauricie, Quebec - 1976) was an oil painter and artist.

[edit] Training

He studied at the College Séraphique and at the Trois-Rivieres Seminary, and finally, Nicolet. However, he is self-taught in his techniques.

[edit] Artistic style

Ayotte engaged himself very early in the writing and in the composition of landscapes’ sketch. His love of nature and the wonder it creates for him, naturally brings him to the painting. The Self-taught never derogate from its unique style. Leo Ayotte often used a single brush to achieve a work. From a single stroke and spontaneity disconcerting, Leo Ayotte always succeeded his paintings at the first attempt, never had to make eternal touches like most painters. Except for his portraits, he painted without drawing because he took time to observe his subject before starting to paint. The bold and lively colors that emerged from the brush inspired the subjects he knew in capturing the essence like no other. His colorful landscapes are real hymns to nature. His still lifes and portraits always charged with emotions complete his work and lead him as a major artist in Quebec.

[edit] Career

Born in a family of modest means, he began his studies at the College Séraphique and at Trois-Rivieres Seminars, and finally, in Nicolet. Bad student, he abandoned his studies at the end of his rhetoric and began to compose poems and painting. Trained to drink during his studies by a priest unconscious of harm that it would cause, he learned early on to "lift the elbow." Although his parents were concerned for his future, they recognized his talent and encouraged him. A family’s friend, Raoul Blanchard, geographer, advised him to enroll in the School of Fine Arts. In 1938, without a penny, he moved to Montreal on Sainte-Famille street and worked as a model at the School of Fine Arts and the Museum of Fine Arts. This enabled him to hear from teachers and pupils and to be engaged as janitor by the director Charles Maillard who also asked him to monitor the work practices. Not being registered, it could not follow the lessons, but his work allows him to listen to the advices of teachers to students. Without money, he also picked up the half-empty tubes left by careless students and used them to paint. The director Maillard told him later after he saw one of his paintings: "You are my best student." Long neglected by the official critics, he opened himself in its 4076 workshop of the alley Saint-Christophe where he spent 29 years of his life. A brilliant speaker and appreciated by all, he succeeded to earn enough money to fulfil his dream of visiting France. In July 1962, he went to visit the Louvre Museum, which moved him to tears. He also visited his friend François Hertel and Robert Roussil sculptor and the painter Jean Dallaire. He ended his trip on the French Riviera where he spent a lot of time painting with his niece Louise-Helene Ayotte who has just been awarded the Consul of France at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After a year in France, he returned to the country and until 1975, he participated in numerous exhibitions throughout Quebec. Suffering from cancer, he was transported on December 18, 1976 to the Hospital of Saint-Hyacinthe where he died three days later on December 21, 1976.

[edit] Galleries

Michel-Ange and usually in the most important galleries of Quebec and Canada

[edit] Literature

Among other things, Signatures, Ayotte, mon Québec, Le Guide Vallée (1983, 1989 and 1993), Le Collectionneur, Investir dans les œuvres d’art, Le paysage dans la peinture au Québec.

[edit] External links

he is also somehow related to braden ayotte that is me and the name is french Canadian so i say hi to you and your family