Born in Quebec City in 1954, Gilles Bédard is a natural artist. When he was a child, his mother would marvel when he copied the animals he saw depicted on the walls of his bedroom, on his pillowcase, or portrayed on the sides of his drinking mug.
As a young man, Gilles joined the Canadian Coast Guard and worked in the North on icebreakers. There, experiencing the effects of the Midnight Sun for the first time, he discovered the beautiful patterns of light reflected on the ice. The overwhelming silence of the rugged North had a great impact on him. After four years at sea, Gilles was deeply attracted by painting. In the 1980s, he settled in the Charlevoix region, in the town of Saint-Joseph‑de‑la‑Rive, to paint pastel portraits. He was never interested in the so‑called "sad" or bitter pictures so fashionable at the time; his interest was always for happy, jolly subjects who were enjoying life.
Gilles Bédard has taken part in group and solo exhibitions since 1984. He has exhibited regularly and has given art demonstrations in Montreal, Quebec City, Baie‑Saint‑Paul and numerous other cities in the Province of Quebec, gaining admirers with every show. In 1991, he joined the Atelier Raphaël in Old Montreal and worked with Jocelyne Lapointe. The Atelier Raphaël is a unique combination of an open studio and a gallery.
Gilles Bédard loves creating from life. To capture a scene, he often sketches on location. Depending on his mood, he uses various mediums: acrylic, oil, pastel or charcoal. His main concern is the pattern of light. His works are awash with light. They recreate a particular moment in a lively and delightful way.
His natural, spontaneous approach has appealed to a lot of people. Charlevoix’s landscape is the favourite subject matter of Gilles Bédard. He has his own unique way to paint the foliage. His handling of green is well‑known in the artist community. For this passionate artist, his works are more eloquent than any word.
"I see my art as a cry from the heart, as a spontaneous release for the feelings I have deep inside me. I love the freedom to create what I want and to escape the constraints imposed on so many people by daily life."
Exhibitions
1984 Exhibition at Auberge des Gouverneurs (Quebec City), pastel
1987 Exhibition at the Montreal Ramada Inn
Exhibition at the Galerie des peintres de Charlevoix
Participation to the "Panorama" Exhibition at the Baie‑St‑Paul Art Center
1988‑89 Exhibition at the Galerie Iris in Baie‑St‑Paul (Quebec) , Galerie Quatre‑Saisons (Quebec City) Exhibition at the Galerie St‑Laurent in Montreal
Participation to the "Panorama"
Exhibition at the Baie‑St‑Paul Art Center
1990 Exhibition at the Galerie Manseau in Joliette (Quebec)
Exhibition at the Galerie de la Care, St‑Lambert (Quebec)
Exhibition at the Galerie L'Art de vivre, Rigaud (Quebec)
Exhibition at the Pierrefonds Cultural Center
1992 Exhibition at Place Ville‑Marie, Montreal
Exhibition at the Galerie Symbole Art, Montreal
Exhibition at the Galerie La Renaissance, St‑Sauveur (Quebec)
Participation to the Sherbrooke Symposium (Summer)
Painting demonstration in Beloeil (Quebec)
1993 Exhibition at the Galerie Ombre et Lumière, St‑Jacques de Montcalm (Quebec)
Exhibition at the Galerie Symbole Art, Montreal
Member of the Institut des Arts figuratifs (I.A.F)
Exhibition at Atelier Raphael, Montreal
1994 Exhibition at Atelier Raphaël, Montreal
Exhibition at the Festival Liège et Solfège, Terrebonne
Exhibition: "Les dimanches d'art champêtre", Ile Notre-Dame, Montreal
1995‑96 Exhibition at the Galerie Iris, Baie‑St‑Paul (Quebec)
Participation to the Défilé de la St‑Jean‑Baptiste, Montreal
Exhibition at Atelier Raphaël, Montreal
Exhibition at the Galerie Symbole Art, Montreal
Exhibition at the Galerie Pierre et Gilles Bédard, Baie‑St‑Paul (Quebec)
Exhibition at the Galerie Art Mode, Ottawa (Ontario)
Exhibition at the Galerie Manseau, Joliette (Quebec)
Live painting for French CBC program: Le martin‑trotteur
Gilles Bédard
1998 Invited Artist of Rêves D’automne festival
Exhibition at la Galerie d’art Iris, Baie-Saint-Paul
1999 Exhibition at the Art Mode Galery
Exhibition at the Galerie d’art Iris, Baie-Saint-Paul
Poster Les grands prix de l’Ordre du mérite agricole, Ministère de l’agriculture et de
l’alimentation du Québec
“Le paysage qui nous parle”, Banque TD. Montréal et Toronto
Symposium “Splendeurs et pinceaux”, 1st edition, Le Massif,
Petite-Rivière-Saint-François
Exhibition, Banque Nationale du Canada, siège social de Laval
2000 Greetings card for the Promutuel group
Symposium “Splendeurs et pinceaux”, 2e edition
Exhibition at the Galerie d’art Iris, Baie-Saint-Paul
Exhibition at the Galerie d’art Iris, Baie-Saint-Paul
2001 Cover page for the phone book, Telus, Québec, Manicouagan area
Exhibition at the Galerie d’art Iris, Baie-Saint-Paul
Symposium “Splendeurs et pinceaux”, 3e edition
2002 Symposium “Splendeurs et pinceaux”, 4e edition
2003 Symposium “Splendeurs et pinceaux”, 5e edition
2004 Symposium “Splendeurs et pinceaux”, 6e edition
Awards & nominations
1999 Grand prix de l’ordre du mérite agricole
Collections
Collection Monnaie royale canadienne
Unicef
Groupe Promutuel
Telus