Born in Sainte-Flore, Mauricie, Quebec to a family of modest means, he began his studies at the College Séraphique and at Trois-Rivières Seminary, and finally, in Nicolet. He abandoned his studies at the end of his rhetoric and began to compose poems and paint.

In 1938, Ayotte moved to Montreal and worked as a model at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Not being registered, Ayotte could not follow the lessons, but his work there as a model and as a janitor allowed him to listen in on classes. Without money, he also picked up the half-empty tubes left by careless students and used them to paint. The director Maillard told him later after he saw one of his paintings: “You are my best student.”

Through his art career and lectures, Ayott was able to save enough money to fulfill his dream of visiting France. In July 1962, he went to visit the Louvre Museum, which moved him to tears. After a year in France, he returned to Canada, where he participated in numerous exhibitions throughout Quebec until 1975. He died on December 21, 1976.