In the heart of the Petit Hameau, the charming shopping area on the north side of rue de Saint-Jovite, the Galerie du hameau exhibits the works of talented regional artists. Tremblant Express met with two painters and a sculptor for whom water – this month’s star player – reveals a particular character.

Ethereal landscapes

Painter, photographer, writer and cinematographer Martine Cyr exhibits her painting to finance her cherished project…which she has held dear and has been nourishing since 2013: the marshes project. Every canvas reflects feelings evoked during long hours spent in the marshes. Daughter of a fisherman, this woman from the Madeleine Islands invites us to carefully observe these rather unloved locales.

Her very first book, Les gardiens silencieux (the silent guardians), illustrated with paintings and photographs, brings together all her talents. She takes the reader by the hand and guides them in this universe of silence, of surprises and of a life that runs from it so sweetly. The pages are a treat to be savoured….

Very soon, Martine will go to Waskaganish, in the heart of a land that is 60 per cent wetlands (compared with 10 per cent here). There she’ll find members of an Indigenous community of fishers, hunters and gatherers. Her second book will be about the natural connection of this community with this source of life, which ensures the health of the lakes and rivers.

Subaquatic

Biochemist and scuba diver for the fascinating organization CIEL (interpretation centre for Laurentian waters) located at Lac-des-Seize-Îles, Anne Létourneau spends hours with her team examining life on the bottom of regional lakes. As she does so, she sometimes seizes on an interesting perspective, sometime an enigmatic reflection or perhaps a kaleidoscopic mix of colours.

The accuracy of the shades is equaled only by their intensity. The interpretation is so precise that one can believe one sees the image coming to life: the leaves move, the water sparkles and the shadows play. This artist, who learned to paint through courses provided by the municipality, also takes inspiration from people. “In every person, there is something beautiful,” she maintains, a smile lighting her face.

On the edge of the shores

Michel Lajeunesse, a highly talented sculptor, shows prodigious dexterity in the way he works unusually shaped pieces of wood. Beaver, fish, mermaids…each piece of wood, found on the edges of the Kiamika reservoir and initially worked by the water, finds a surprising new life. Formerly the home of log drives, the reservoir is the keeper of these remnants that resurface over the seasons. Michel looks for shapes, knots and irregularities having the potential he seeks. Years may pass before he decides on the final form the piece will take. The possibilities are infinite. Then comes the period given over to research of varieties, proportions and the study of movement. “When you sculpt, there’s no margin for error,” says the man “who likes complicating life just for the challenge.”

Michel, who used to design signs sculpted of wood and highlighted with gold leaf for Créations Vieil Art, in Granby, left everything behind in 2000 to migrate to the Laurentians. The sculptor of nature takes great pleasure in his “second life”, where he lets his works speak for him.

830, rue de Saint-Jovite
Mont-Tremblant
Du mercredi au dimanche
13h à 17h