Nicolas de Grandmaison was born in Calgary and raised in Banff, Alberta. He was tutored in painting by his father, the portrait artist Nicholas de Grandmaison. He studied painting, sculpture and architecture at the University of Manitoba and Calgary. While residing in Calgary during his early career, he taught sculpture.

Now based in Vancouver, Grandmaison exclusively paints Western Canadian landscapes - the prairies, mountains and marine. His work is shown in Calgary, Vancouver and Russia.