Sandra Veillette was born and raised in Abitibi, a remote region of Québec known for its expansive forests and lakes. At a very early age, she developed her patience and observation skills during long fishing trips with her grandfather. Those qualities are readily apparent in her artwork today. For Sandra, nature is not only an inexhaustible source of inspiration but also the nursery that provides the raw materials (wood, roots, bones, mushrooms, wasps’ nests, etc.) from which she creates her artworks. Most of her pieces are built around a central element that imposes itself early in the creative process. Often, that element is a piece of wood with a peculiar shape that evokes a body in motion, a very expressive posture or a physical trait that will give the character an out-of-this-world personality. Additional elements are then added, selected and transformed so as to achieve a delicate balance between shapes, colours and textures. Different techniques developed over the years are used to assemble the various elements that compose each sculpture in a seamless manner. Nature allows Sandra to create endlessly and, strangely, dictates new sculptures to her. “I love to create for people, to see them be amazed and fascinated by the beauty of the world around us. My sculptures help them escape for a moment and see the world in a different way”, she says. Each piece she creates is unique. Her goal is to magnify nature in free and inspired works.