Colin Abernethy
I have always loved wood as a primary art median. The texture, the workability, the strength, and the shape. Wood has so many uses in the world and in the world of art. It is fairly limitless as to what can be achieved with wood. It is always fun challenging these limits as well. My respect for wood and its previous form, trees, is deepened every passing day.
I feel very lucky to have discovered woodworking at an early stage in my life. At the age of 13 I first discovered the craft at my Grandfather's woodshop in Avening, Ontario. I can say for certain that he first helped to sponsor my interest in joining one piece of wood to another. Whether building a tool box, a toy or a picture frame or fixing a damaged drawer, whatever it was, it was a perfect platform for understanding wood and how it works.
The years between then and now have brought many great teachers and many lessons in wood working. Working with wood has also allowed me to be creative with design and structure. Whether building a house, a fence, a set of stairs, or kitchen cabinets or just shaping wood into sculpture, it has been a great median for me to express myself.
I started into specialty woodworking in 1998 by way of building guitars under Sergei DeJonge in Oshawa, Ontario. He had a small shop which had everything necessary for building instruments. I spent a great deal of time there, and absorbed lots of knowledge in working-wood. I used to process much of his wood (once he taught me how to of course) into smaller more delicate sizes for constructing his guitars. It gave me a greater appeal and appreciation for specialty and rare types of wood, most of which not from this continent.
From there I started collecting and selling wood to guitar and instrument builders. I made it a passion and a job, by way of finding just the right kind, or the right cut of wood for other instrument builders. There was and still is quite a large community of instrument builders right here in southern Ontario. Most of the people I did business with were in Canada, U.S.A., and as far away as Japan, Europe and South America.
In my most recent years I have focused much of my energy locally. By way of developing a small family owned and operated sawmill/construction company. I have been working on some great projects with much oppurtunity for "freedom of design". My wife and I have had three lovely children together and have built a home and a life together in the hills of the Ganaraska forest area, which is so inspiring in it self.
I welcome any creative challenges in the future, with open mind and heart.
Sincerly,
Colin Abernethy
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