We found his house on the outskirts of Quebec City in a leafy neighborhood full of old houses. We rang the doorbell and he came to greet us wearing an old t-shirt covered in blotches of colored paint – the equivalent of Guy Tremblay’s business suit!
He led us through his house down to his studio where we all squeezed into a small room crammed floor to ceiling with art supplies, half finished works of art and family photos. One thing you’ll quickly learn about Guy is that he is a family man. Coming from a family of 7 brothers and sisters Guy is the youngest and has had loads of artistic influence from his whole family. His father, who has passed, was a creative man which was easily seen through the self-designed label
on the homemade tin of maple syrup Guy gave us as a gift from his father. His mother, who is still very alive and active a youthful 84 years old, has always encouraged Guy to pursue his love of art. And Guy recently expanded his artistic repertoire after his brother taught him how to weld. Guy is now doing beautiful art pieces made from sculptured iron and glass. He says his family is just one of the many artistic Quebecois families who can be found all over the province.
Something Guy stressed to us on our visit was the intensity of the 
Quebec underground art scene. He said, ‘don’t let this little ‘bat cave’ fool you. There are hundreds of talented artists all over the province who work from modest studios like mine.’ Guy wanted us to understand that the Quebec art scene runs much deeper than just the fancy shop fronts that you see around old Quebec City or the Old Port of Montreal. If you really open your eyes and ears to the local scene there is so much art to see and explore. Like everything else it sometimes takes some digging.
So next time you’re in Quebec City, Montreal or anywhere in La Belle Province make sure you ask around, check the local newspapers and talk to the local tourist information people. You’ll be surprised at how many Guys there are working quietly in little studios creating magnificent works of art. Having a chat with them is as rewarding as looking at the artwork itself.
Bon voyage!
