Francine Champagne
Francine started carving wood masks in 1999, after having spent a decade doing cast faces. She first
learned West Coast carving techniques and tool making with Coast Salish artist Rick Wolcott, and is forever grateful for his classes and workshops. Since then, her carvings have included masks, bowls, plaques, utensils, combs, but the style has evolved into her very own designs. Her favourite woods include alder, yellow cedar, and red cedar. Many of her projects can be seen either on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/franc.champagne.583) or her carving website
(https://champagnedesign.com/) Francine first participated in the 2014 Carving on the Edge Festival, in Tofino, BC; she attends and carves at the Festival at every opportunity. In 2014/2015, she assisted carver Qwaya Sam to carve a pole at Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC. A retrospective show of her carvings was held at the MacMillan Arts Centre in Parksville, BC, in March of 2015. She presently has an interest in carving hummingbirds. Francine studied visual arts and communications at Ottawa U, and all manner of digital media since then, with a special concentration in M.C. Escher-like tessellations. After many years jumping provinces, she now lives on Vancouver Island where she is fully at home.