About

Francine Champagne Artist’s bio
Francine’s first cast face masks date back to the early 1980s. For many years, her passion and mask making skills grew. She got braver, with an eagerness to go beyond; to overlap bands of time and carving style. She studied the work of First Nations Master Carvers, a few generous carvers whose tutelage allowed her to refined her mask carving techniques. Her individual artistry evolved. Francine embraced the blank slate and the right medium to bring her distinct narratives to life. Now, Francine tells her tales in 3D through a refined mask-making technique in noble materials including alder, yellow and red cedar. “Universal personas and people whom many of us have met before are surfacing in my masks,” says Francine. “When I tell the story behind the mask, the listener often says: ‘Oh, I know someone like that’; they recognize their friends, relatives, acquaintances or enemies!” Most recently Francine participated in the 2014 Carving on the Edge Festival, in Tofino, British Columbia, where she received an enthusiastic reception from island carvers. She attends and carves at the festival, every opportunity she has. Recently, she assisted carver Qwaya Sam for a commissioned totem pole at Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia. A retrospective show was held at the MacMillan Arts Centre in Parksville in March of 2015. Francine studied visual arts and communications at Ottawa U. After many years jumping provinces, she now lives on Vancouver Island where she is fully at home in nature, close to animals and water.  Francine’s 2D and 3D artwork is included in private and corporate collections across Canada.
http://www.champagnedesign.com

Send me a note if you’d like to purchase combs, hummingbird masks or any other masks still available.