Born in North Bay, Ontario, Paulette Marie Sauvé finds much of her inspiration in the lakes and marshes of Ontario, Quebec and New England. She also enjoys painting still life and cityscapes. She studied architecture and painting at the Institut des Arts Appliqués in Montreal, and won a government grant to travel to France where she discovered natural pigments, ancient dyes, and tapestry, notably the Manufacture des Gobelins. In 1992 she obtained her Master of Fine Arts degree at the Université du Québec. The MFA course included studies in northern Italy.

Paulette creates commissioned works for government and corporate buildings, and has given lectures, seminars and workshops in the USA, Canada and Israel. Her work is shown in galleries, museums, private and corporate collections in several countries. She has obtained grants and awards, notably in 2002, she received Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 50th Golden Jubilee Medal awarded by The Governor General of Canada. She also received grants from the Canada Arts Council, and is a four time recipient of the Quebec Minister of Cultural Affairs Grants.