Rhéal McIntyre is of Acadian origin and returned to the Chaleur Bay region, settling in Dalhousie on the Miguasha Point, in 2011. Deeply connected to the lasting impression of the marine landscapes from his childhood, he has long since become familiar with the surrounding boreal forest.

Rhéal McIntyre was born in 1952 in Charlo, New Brunswick. At the age of eight, he was introduced to fine arts through his brother Edgar, who was studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montreal. As a child, he learned carpentry, and at 12 years old, he began working with wood in his father’s workshop.

Always drawn to art, in the early 1990s he met the young Montreal artist Sacha Barrette and asked him to introduce him to painting during an intensive three-month period—an exhilarating discovery for a man with a poet’s soul. In his first year, he painted 42 canvases, returned to sculpture, and took additional drawing and painting classes in the Outaouais region. As a self-taught and experimental artist, he gradually developed techniques that allowed him to give shape to his vision of the world.

From the start, he painted in dabs and boldly broke color conventions. When he was told that his style resembled Impressionism and Fauvism, it motivated him to take up the challenging task of learning to read so that he could study the masters. Over the years, his reading, interaction with other artists, disciplined work ethic, and participation in exhibitions continued to evolve his expression into an increasingly unique style.

Initially a nostalgic painter of the Gaspé sea, he was later captivated by the exuberant chaos of the Outaouais forest, with trees becoming the main characters in many of his paintings. He moved from monochromatic blue canvases to using vibrant colors and developed perspective effects that convey his reverence and connection with the landscapes he paints. Upon returning to the Chaleur Bay region, he chose a more restrained representation of space, highlighting the trees of his modest property. The seaside energizes him, and from 2012 onward, he ventured into the world of fishing—depicting fishermen amidst vast icy expanses, their gaze fixed far on the horizon.

In this way, he captures moments when time seems to stand still.