Benoi Deschênes remembers the day Terry Fox ran past his home.
In Quebec, there was not much publicity about the 1980 Marathon of Hope but Deschênes can recall the Port Coquitlam young man and how he moved on his prosthetic leg.
"We was not very well known... but I could tell he was a good guy," Deschênes said. "I didn't take any photos but later, we heard a lot of about him so we paid attention then."
When Fox died the next year from cancer, Deschênes decided to add him to his collection of wood sculptures, carving two portraits of the Canadian hero - one of which was bought by an art gallery in Calgary. "I like to carve in wood people from my contemporary life," he said. "Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Elvis Presley and Terry Fox are part of my memories."
Deschênes, who will be teaching his craft on Thursday in a workshop - aptly titled Woodn't It Be Wonderful - at Coquitlam's Place des Arts, is being featured as part of Festival du Bois at nearby Mackin Park (he will also host free public demonstrations on Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m., and Sunday, from 1 to 3 p.m.).
As well, about 30 of Deschênes' pieces, including paintings and drawings, will be up on the Maillardville arts centre walls in the Atrium Gallery until March 17 - half of which are new. Deschênes said he doesn't get the opportunity to exhibit much as most of his time is spent on commissions.
Working primarily with basswood and pine, the Saint-Aubert, Quebec, native who now calls Saint-Jean-Port-Joli home, said he also likes to try out wood from the places he travels to for lectures and classes; while in B.C., he dabbles with red cedar and white spruce, he said, noting one of his students was former Port Moody mayor David Driscoll.
Asked what's the hardest part of carving, Deschênes replied: "You need to find a good subject, something original. Then, you need to master the technique.... It all takes years and years of practice."
The opening reception for Benoi Deschênes' display is Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at Place des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam). It is free and open to the public. For more information, call 604-664-1636 or visit www.placedesarts.ca.
