Beaulieu was born in Montreal. He studied at the "École des Beaux Arts" and was a colleague of Jean-Paul Lemieux and Stanley Cosgrove. In 1938, he decided to go to live in Montparnasse in Paris, where he painted for over 35 years.

There he met artists such as Picasso and Giacometti, as well as the Quebecers Pellan and Dallaire.  These encounters had an influence on his artistic development as well as on his production.  Beaulieu was always striving to attain an absolute. During his career he explored different styles, such as symbolism, figuration and still life, and experimented with various media.  He mainly worked with oil paints, but also explored watercolour and printmaking.

Beaulieu sometimes perplexed collectors.  However, reviewed with hindsight and a more global vision of his life's work, he is now rightly considered a recognized and respected artist.