Usually referred to by only his first name , Gerard was, for most of his adult life, a cook in a Petionville restaurant. He is unsure of his exact age, but thinks he was born around 1935. Gerard began to paint in the early 1980's, in the small caille where he lives in Montagne Noir, above Petionville. Outside the house are scores of potted plants and trellises ( trelli?) blooming with beautiful flowers and a large bird house alive with white pigeons. He paints his wonderful paintings inside the hut, which has no electricity or running water. After sundown, he works by the light of a gas lantern. He is a true, self-taught painter. His work was featured in the May 1990 issue of Art & Antiques magazine and he is included in most recent books about Haitian Art.