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Jules Anthony Bouillet was born on May 22, 1939
in Vincennes, Indiana. The son of a Belgian glasscutter, Bouillet
would cut glass himself until the factory closed its doors. While
he was growing up, he enjoyed sketching cartoons and building model
airplanes.
With his wife Suzanne,
Jules settled in his hometown and took up watercolor painting with
a passion. He opened a beauty salon under the name "Jules Hair Fashions"
and became known as an accomplished hair stylist by winning several
awards at national shows.
After 25 years as a professional beautician, Bouillet
began to take his artistic talents more seriously. During his spare
time, often into the late hours of the night, he continued to perfect
a now blossoming woodcarving ability. His dedication and persistence
led to the founding of a business for reproducing his highly detailed
basswood carvings of decoys and upland game. After 5 years, the
Shaker Prairie Shop had become successful enough that Jules could
pursue his lifelong love of the arts on a full-time basis.
Bouillet now owns and operates his business, the
Shaker Prairie Shop, Inc., which produces and distributes he reproductons
of his works domestically and abroad. His works are highly sought
after by major art exhibitions and shows across the world. He is
most noted now for his dramatic life-sized wood sculptures of birds
of prey and waterfowl in flight.
His works have been part of the prestigious Leigh
Yawkey Woodson "Birds in Art" exhibition 5 times and have been on
display in such noted exhibit halls and shows as the British Museum
in London, England; the Royal Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland; and
the Ward Foundation Museum in Salisbury, MD.
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