Leonce Gallant
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Leonce's workshed
 I've known Leonce for most of my life, but it was only a couple of years ago that I found out he was doing carvings.
I went to visit his work shed and was amazed and deeply touched by what I saw. If he didn't like the way a piece
looked, he'd throw it in the swamp behind his house. Ideas came out of his head for his works, again from childhood
memories.Leonce was born in Shediac in 1947 to a poor family. His father was a jack of all trades and the local grave digger. Leonce was a worker from the start, hauling wood from the woods at 8 yrs old. He never learned to read or write and left school 2 months into grade 4. He does have fond memories of his grade one teacher, Therese who gave him extra help after school and would often drive him home. She also saw to it that he had a good lunch, making arrangements with a local family, Leonce would go to their house nearby for what was sometimes his only meal of the day. Therese also encouraged him to carve after he had brought a few wood carvings to her as gifts. She had even bought him sealing wax and a carving set and to this day he still appreciates all she did for him. There were never any Christmases for Leonce and the only toys he had, were the ones he'd made or salvaged from the local dump. Leonce's childhood wasn't a very happy one. From the age 17 to 20 he worked away at odd jobs, from a dish washer in Jasper to a pipe layer in Sydney. Then when he reached 20 he married his sweetheart Julie and settled in Pointe-Du-Chêne, N.B. They lost their only son in a tragic accident and never had more children. For the past 30 years Leonce has worked as fisherman & fish plant worker, he's continued to make his carvings which he gives to family and friends. His work has recently gained attention from the press and from local collectors looking for a piece of his (heart) art.
I personally have a few of his works that I treasure. As our gallery grows I will include more of Leonce's work....Paul McFadden |