Jean McEwen is a self-taught artist that came to visual art through poetry. Even though McEwen was a pharmacist by trade, he was a very good friend of Borduas and active in the Automatist movement until he broke off, in 1955. He then left for France where he gets acquainted with Riopelle works and through him, the works of Sam Francis and Jackson Pollock which will influence all his career.In 1956, he is a founding member of the Non figurative artist's association of Montreal. At the end of the '50's, fame reaches him: solo's at Walter Moose's Gallery in Toronto, at Martha Jackson's in New York (together with Tapies, Kline, Francis, Pollock and Borduas).His career is very well on his way and he is being represented by the best galleries in North America. Museums buy his works: M.O.M.A%2E of New-York, National Museum of Canada, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts...All along his career, he has always been found of painting (oil and acrylic) and watercolouring. His interest for etching came in late in his life but he was delighted with the results. «Jardin de pierres vaste I» is the first etching ever realized by the artist together with the master printer Paul Machnik of Monteal and is part of a serie of four. The list of all collections, private or public, that carry McEwen's works would too long to be listed in this short C.V. of the artist. The same with the honors, prizes and recognitions. A complete bibliography of all articles and publications on the artist is available at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. John McEwen died in January 1999.