Since the opening of our gallery in 1989, it has been a great pleasure and honour to exhibit Roland Nicolas's stone sculptures. I met Roland on the beach at Anse a Beaufils while collecting agates back in the late 70's. We shared many stories about searching out these elusive and mystical stones on our local beaches and over the years we developed a close friendship. Through this relationship I was introduced to his work and Lucie and I became passionate collectors of his wonderful creations. Roland Nicolas was a "pure-breed" Gaspesian, born in Grande-Rivière. He used the Gaspesian stones he found around him as his raw material and the most basic of tools and equipment. He rarely ventured far from his native home.

Roland passed away in June 2007 at the age of 80. Only days before his passing, Roland called me to come and see his most recent productions. That was a most unusual meeting. Upon arriving at Roland's home, at nine o'clock in the morning, he was his typical cheerful self, though I thought it quite strange and out of character that he offered me a glass of wine at that early hour. Sadly, I was rushed for time that morning and I parted with some hesitancy, wondering what was up with the offer of a glass of wine at such an unusual hour. The next day, Roland was admitted to hospital......he never came out. Looking back, he must have known and I had missed the signal of that last glass of wine at 9 am with a dear old friend.