Beauregard, Jules

By: Ilania Abileah

Studio Visit: Jules Beauregard Wood Turner

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Visit 9 June 2008

March 1st, 2007 I visited again, following Jury selection of Jules Beauregard to be one of the studios of Route des Arts 2007. The collection has changed there are many new objects. I was amazed at the new collection of goblets of different and exotic woods with very thin lips and stems.
Some of those I have seen in 2006 were sold in exhibits done in the summer, and recently at the McCord Museum in Montreal.

Here are three of the images provided by Jules:

Walnut Platter 13-1/2” diameter X 2” H

Manitoba Maple tinted blue, with apple collar & base 9" H X 6" diameter.

Birch, tinted blue, 15" H X 5-1/2" diameter.

The Collection

The first vase I saw...could not believe it is wood!

Floor vases with dried flowers

...and bulrushes.



Some vases are tinted with textile dies.

Jules shows his tinted vase, and explains coating methods.

An imperfection in the wood was used to create a unique ornament.

Easy-to-use Wine-bottle stoppers, next to an display unit that Joan turned for her earrings attached to sterling silver or gold fittings.



Beautiful Salt & pepper mills.

These charming vases are equipped with an internal glass tube to allow fresh flowers....A perfect Valentines Day gift.

Pens made from turned wood or a plastic material used for kitchen counters.


Each piece is hand-signed with a special pen.

Jules explained that he comes from a line of wood artisans. Both his grandfather and father made furniture and created wooden objects. Jules has been doing it since a young age, continued as a hobby until he decided to retire and turn his hobby into his vocation.

March 1st, 2007 visit.
Joan continues to do charming objects. However, this year she will not present her work during Route des Arts.

Studio Visit: Jules & Joan Beauregard 12 June 2006

Joan's flowers on the way to the workshop...

Joan with her wooden flowers. The petals are peeled and turned away from the center which serves as the pistil of the flower - the flowers are tinted with textile die, attached onto a twig, and displayed in one of her lovely vases.

Joan displays a beautifully textured plate.

A candle, using a glass container for the oil....Joan inserted her flowers in this one.

Joan found a piece of maple that she simply had to use to display the amazing colour and texture.

Bowl and vase with flowers displayed by the business cards.

Each bowl brings out the beauty of the wood.

Here is another imperfection that was enhanced with a gold chain.

The Workshop

A vase Jules is working on drying before next layer of lacquer is applied. Sometimes the item is protected with a few layers of oil. Plates a food-protected. Most vases are only for displaying dried flowers.

Joan by her smaller Lathe. Joan explained what each of the machines in the workshop is used for and demonstrated. The workshop is equipped with everything needed to work with wood: Planer, circular saw, Table Saw, Drill, Knife sharpening machine, and of course, many hand tools, knives of various sizes and grips.
Joan studied to become an architect, found her way into computer installations...then, after years of helping Jules with his wood turning...she got her own smaller-sized Lathe and went on to create her own pieces. The pieces joan creates are generally smaller than those that Jules makes. However, her imagination, attention to detail and creativity are not small at all! I was really impressed.

Joan shows the raw wood she uses.

Some pieces are larger. On the lathe is a work-in-progress held tightly with a wooden center piece that is glued to a base used for this purpose. The base is later cut off.

Joan sharpening her knife. The knives are sharpened every half hour... In some cases every 10 minutes.

Joan by the circular saw.

Planer

Drill.

Joan showing a table-top grip made by Jules's grandfather.

Table-saw.

Joan by the machine that cuts the base of a bowl or a vase. Behind her is Jules' larger lathe. The lathe turns at an incredibly high speed. Sometimes Joan has to help Jules when a particularly large piece is being turned, to capture a bowl or vase that loses its grip.

Colours and dimensions artwork may be slightly different from the original.

This site was last updated 06/10/08