BIOGRAPHY

Suzanne Bélair was born in Montreal and spent her youth in Laval. She now shares her time between West Island of Montreal and Austin in the Eastern Townships. She has been passionate about oils since the age of 12.

Art and creativity have always been part of her life. She studied fashion design and art through university but also through various specialty workshops given by modern masters and other artists. Suzanne holds a B.Sc. in biology with a specialization in ecology and environment and this had a great influence on her work.

As a biologist and environmentalist, Suzanne was actively involved in community life both in Kirkland and in Austin for many years, and, until recently, was a contributing writer for the Quebec Biologists Association bulletin. She was president of the Kirkland Artist Association and sat on the executive committees of two art associations for several years. She gave Still-life workshops to artists groups and is now teaching oil painting in her Beaconsfield studio.

Since 2007, she maintains two blogs on art, creativity, life and environment on Wordpress.

In addition to her solos, Suzanne participated in several juried exhibitions, group exhibitions and many symposiums. She is a signature member of the Institut des Arts figuratifs (IAF), Artists For Conservation (AFC), and the Lakeshore Association of artists (LAA). She is also an exhibiting member of the Federation of Canadian artists (FCA) and has won prizes for her work. Her artwork is part of private collections and one public collection. She is a member of UNEQ, l'Union des écrivaines et écrivains du Québec ainsi que l'AAAE, the Association of Auteurs et Auteures de l'Estrie.

She recently wrote, illustrated and published her first children's book in French and English, "Le vol agité de Ben" and "Ben's bumpy Flight", which are already in some libraries and stores in Montreal, Pointe-Claire and Knowlton in the Eastern Townships.

Through her art, she supports several causes, including the fight against cancer, palliative care, environmental health, the protection of women and children.