David, the fifth of eight children was born in Edmonton, Alberta in 1951. He initiated his creative journey there apprenticing as a silversmith in his late teens, eventually taking his designs to Gastown, Vancouver in the early 70s. After a long hiatus, devoted to his growing family of four daughters, he returned to his metal sculpture in Garden Bay on the Sunshine Coast of B.C. He began incorporating glass to lighten the composition. In 1992, David’s art evolved almost exclusively into the glass medium when he began making slumped and fused masks from recycled glass.

David’s subsequent exposure to glass as a medium came at Studio One Glass of Vancouver and Bay Studio of Tsawwassen, B.C. where he worked on commercial and residential installations. Various techniques acquired there were refined during the period in which David participated in the Experimental Glass Group – ‘EGG’. He co-founded EGG, which has since disbanded, in 1994 with David expanding into their former premises adding and developing techniques and equipment that facilitate his ever growing repertoire. David with his wife Marie have since relocated their home and studio to the Selkirk Mountains of B.C. overlooking Kootenay Lake.

A radical transformation took place when David started collaborative work with First Nations artists. This has led to further explorations in his developing a large body of work in the Native Art Style The sharing of visions resulted in a blending of innovative ‘Old World’ technology with timeless aboriginal images. The Native art interpretations have gathered a wide following in private collections throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East.

The artist states, "I find glass to be among the most difficult of materials. Demanding and technically limiting, this material once mastered yields results that are satisfying almost magical. I think it is the interplay of light and object which most fascinates. Whereas traditional sculptures tend to'steal' the light captivating it to their own ends- with glass the boundary between the object and its illumination source is much less defined"

Photographs cannot fully portray the beauty of David's unique glass creations. Images of Killer Whales emerging out of the sea while the Grizzly Bear totems bring visions of the Primordial Northwest Coast Forests. Current explorations include carved relief panels, heavily textured cast bowls, and intricately slumped sculptural objects. Inclusions of metal, wood and stone are incorporated to present the glass in a variety of functional and decorative formats. Montpetit's work can be fully appreciated at leading galleries in Canada and the United States.