Woodworking Hits The Street
By Rob Parker
Traveling throughout the province of Ontario, Canada, through various small towns and some cities a new trend in is emerging. Roaming down the main streets of many smaller towns, I am beginning to see a changing face of the tree trunk stumps that have been left behind after an older tree has been cut. Some local entrepreneur with a very creative imagination and skilled hand has adopted these stumps. A skilled hand is using an assortment of machinery and hand carving tools to create some absolutely amazing figures and caricatures in these tree trunk stumps. Where do these people get their ideas? They call it imagination!

Skilled woodworkers are beautifying their towns and creating conversation pieces all at the same time. In some towns there is a theme throughout. Often the pieces are stand-alone works of art. Is this the 21st century version of the totem pole? Our guess is as good as mine but the involved is surely a sight to behold and admire.

Lingering at each piece, I ponder the tools involved in crafting these beautiful roadside pieces of art. Does this involve the use of only hand carving tools or are other tools involved? Would there be a need here for a router, a sander or another piece of machinery to detail and design such inspirational works of art? Perhaps industrial machinery is needed to establish the initial design, as some of the tree trunks appear to be very large. I can’t imagine cutting into the wood just with a handsaw or axe. Perhaps the artisan is simply more patient than I can imagine.

I think I must become more diligent in my travels and pass through a town when one of these craftspersons is creating their masterpiece and pose the question. What are the tools of this trade? Wherein lays the inspiration to turn a lump of wood into a work of art? Until I stumble across one of these artists at work, I will continue to marvel at the lasting display of imagination and craftsmanship he’s chosen to share with the town.

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