Thousand Angels Studio

Article by Greg Peerenboom
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26 September 2016

NORTH GLENGARRY - In her small workshop tucked away on the rolling farmlands north of Alexandria, Sylvie Juteau creates intricacy out of rusted and twisted scrap metal and worn out garden and yard tools.

But instead of a delicate artist's brush, she has to rely on power and heat, combining it with precision.

"There is no way I could have done this (at her former west island Montreal home)," said Juteau, of her relatively new venture in reworking metal into art forms, after a long background in glass art.

Although her location is on the outer reaches of the Apples and Art 25th Anniversary Studio Tour, she still managed to get about 45-50 visitors.

Juteau relies on a unique marriage of industrial fabrication and creative design by taking advantage of a plasma gun, which is powered by a noisy compressor (hence the concern with neighbours).

She said the plasma tool is the only way she could imprint a design on to the metal.

"To make visitors understand how it works, I don't get burned when I place my finger a couple of inches away from the gun," said Juteau, in her busy looking workshop, a small shed behind the 4th Concession, of Kenyon home she shares with spouse Andre Racette, who also picks up the gun too.

"He's the man who makes flowers out of metal," Juteau joked with a soft chuckle.

Beside her shed is a shamble of scrap metal and very used shovels, waiting their turn to find anew life as a piece of art.

Asked if she has a hard time acquiring her resources, she said, "No, people come by and drop it off - it's all word of mouth."

About two dozen artists were involved in the Apples and Art Tour.