Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 25/02) - While his work is showcased around the world, sculptor and jewelry maker Francois Thibault is always thinking about his next great project. The former miner rediscovered his artistic talents while recuperating from a serious accident more 20 years ago.

Yellowknifelife: You were a miner before getting into sculpting and jewelry. How did that all come to be?

Francois Thibault: I was in a dog patch at Pine Point.

Yellowknifelife: Dog patch? What's that?

FT: It was a bunch of trailers all stuck together -- the good ol' hey days. I worked for Con Mine. It was Cominco at the time. Then I started working on diamond drills with Heath and Sherwood.

Yellowknifelife: Professionally, you started off as a hard-rock miner?

FT: Professionally, I started off twisting rods.

Yellowknifelife: How did your work as a miner tie into the carving and metal work you've been doing?

FT: Basically, I started carving out of a series of accidents. I had a bad accident.

Yellowknifelife: What happened?

FT: I went off a cliff with a four-by-four. I busted my elbow, my shoulder, clavicles, squished some vertebrates, screwed up my legs. I was a mess.

Yellowknifelife: Ouch. So that's how you got into carving. You were badly injured, and you were looking for something to occupy your time.

FT: Well, actually, the Demerol did that (laughs). No, I've been playing in the arts since I was seven years old.

Yellowknifelife: What was the first thing you ever carved?

FT: A little stone sculpture. I still have it.

Yellowknifelife: What was it?

FT: I don't know what it is. You want to see it? (reaches for carving).

Yellowknifelife: Sure.

FT: I think it's an ass.

Yellowknifelife: An ass like a donkey? Or an ass like someone's butt?

FT: No, actually it's a bunch of hearts. I don't what I was thinking. Today I was looking at it, and I was like, hmmm, "it does look like a butt."

Yellowknifelife: So, after a while you began amassing some expertise?

FT: Basically, how I got into it was when I was approached by Expo ('86). That was in '85.

Yellowknifelife: How did that happen?

FT: Somebody told somebody that I was carving. They asked me to come in for an interview and we started shooting the shit. They asked me to bring some samples. I brought some samples, and then they gave me an order for I think it was 430 pieces.

Yellowknifelife: That was the GNWT who gave you that?

FT: Yep, for the pavilion. Then I found out later that was the biggest contract they gave to anyone, I think, as a single artist. So I figured I'm going to stick to this.

Yellowknifelife: What were some of the pieces you featured down there?

FT: Brooches, jewelry, small carvings. Mostly jewelry -- little pins, ivory earrings and polar bears. All kinds of little knick-knacks.

Yellowknifelife: You sold a lot of your work at Expo?

FT: They bought everything. Whether they got rid of everything or not, it didn't matter. It gave me a chance to buy tools and get set up properly. Basically, Originals by T-Bo was formed.

Yellowknifelife: Where was your first shop?

FT: Behind the Bay. Remember where Tundra Silk Screen was? There's that first house. There use to be a little house there they tore down. I was two doors down where they have Ducks Unlimited now. Before that, I was carving in crawl spaces.

Yellowknifelife: Why did you have to carve in a crawl space?

FT: Because frankly it was too damn cold to do it outside. You'd freeze your damn fingers off.

Yellowknifelife: Did you have any ventilation in there?

FT: Well, the first few days were pretty raunchy. But I've always had some sort of ventilation. Whether it was a vacuum cleaner or ... the other one I have is a squirrel cage with a big bag, you know.

Yellowknifelife: A squirrel cage?

FT: It's like a furnace blower, pumping the heat outside (laughter). He's making a $1,000 worth of carvings, and it's costing him $1,200 to fuel the place.

Yellowknifelife: You've been at it for quite a while. Describe some of the work you've done over the years.

FT: Well, I've done a lot of jewelry, glass sculpture. A lot of different media. Wood, gemstone, jade. The biggest wood one I've done is... here (shows photo album of various carvings).

Yellowknifelife: It's a big bear.

FT: Yeah, about 1,500 pounds.

Yellowknifelife: Where is it?

FT: It's in British Columbia. I've got works in the States. Basically, I've got works worldwide now. I've carved some golf balls.

Yellowknifelife: Golf balls?

FT: (Still showing photo album) This is a golf ball I did for the Breast Cancer Society.

Yellowknifelife: There's a bear inside.

FT: I just peeled it and carved a bear inside. It's kind of throwing its shell out, eh?

Yellowknifelife: Where do you get all the supplies for your carvings?

FT: The golf ball? Sports Shop. Diamonds? I shop locally only. I'm using Deton'Cho, Arslanian Cutting Works.

Yellowknifelife: The gold is local, too?

FT: Gold you can buy through supply houses. You can buy gold from Con Mine for gold nugget jewelry. This is a thing I did for the Queen and Prince Phillip (showing photo album again).

Yellowknifelife: Let's talk about that.

FT: An ivory brooch.

Yellowknifelife: So, she's wearing that?

FT: I don't know.

Yellowknifelife: But you gave that to her?

FT: Well, the city commissioned me to do something for her.

Yellowknifelife: That's when Pat McMahon was mayor.

FT: Yeah, she gave me a whole buck. God bless her soul (laughs).

Yellowknifelife: She gave you a block of ivory and said OK ...

FT: No, she gave me a dollar. When I was approached by the city they kind of said, "Well, we don't have anything budgeted for something like that." And I said, "Jesus Christ Pat, if it's a matter of money, I wouldn't give a shit if you give me a buck if somebody wants me to make something for the Queen on behalf of the government. Man, I'm your man." So she took me literally. I still got the cheque somewhere.

Yellowknifelife: She gave you a dollar.

FT: Yeah, I was never so stunned. Not even a Big Mac. Then I found out they spent $300 on a stupid box to hold a raw piece of quartz with a little gold vein in it.

Yellowknifelife: What was your biggest contract?

FT: It was this BHP piece I just finished. It was an 18-carat Northern Lights (necklace) out of white and yellow gold with a comet going through it and a whole bunch of diamonds in it.

Yellowknifelife: That piece has been travelling around all over the place, hasn't it?

FT: I don't know all the places it's been. I think it's been to Toronto, Montreal. It's been over in Dallas. It actually stole the show. We saw the video. Man, I've never been so embarrassed.

Yellowknifelife: That was for the Team Canada conference?

FT: Yeah, they told us it did the tango. I thought it was an expression or something. It turns out -- I look at the video -- all of a sudden this chick shows up in a bright, red dress and a big picture frame, and she does a tango dance the whole length of the song.

Yellowknifelife: How much would a piece like that cost?

FT: I don't have a damn clue. They won't tell me.

Yellowknifelife: It was like a top secret arrangement?

FT: No, it was basically a commission. I did the work. They liked the piece.

Yellowknifelife: So you're going on another Team Canada show?

FT: Yeah, with that piece, to Munich. The prime minister, the premier, all the political arena.

Yellowknifelife: So, I take it you'll be meeting the prime minister.

FT: Yeah, I'd say so. We're just doing a show for what's coming out of the North.

Yellowknifelife: How many trade shows have you done?

FT: I also had the largest contract for the one in Seville (Spain), the Expo there. Prospects North. Quite a few things.

Yellowknifelife: Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?

FT: Retired, carving monumental pieces at my leisure.

Yellowknifelife: Monumental as in ...

FT: Big bastard carvings.