Aboriginal themes inspire woodworker

Page 9

While the mechanical arm bobs up and down frantically, Gerry Desnoyer calmly and methodically steers his block of wood around the metal teeth of his scroll saw.

Desnoyer has become one of very few woodcarvers who use this tool to create their art. Operating almost like a sewing machine, the blade, attached to the arm, cuts vertically while the material, most often wood, has free access on the iron table.

After dabbling with the craft for several years, this Metis artist from Lloydminster has now established a reputation for himself and his work. His signature pieces, often animals, blossom under the blade with additional cuts that show character and are elaborate in their shape with detailed, yet smooth edges.

"You can do anything that you want with it because it's so flexible and relaxing," Desnoyer, 47, said of his craft. "It's also addictive because it's fun and I'll want to try different pieces or materials all the time," added the artist, who often will spend eight to 10 hours a day in his basement workshop honing his craft.

Desnoyer's discovery of his talent was literally by accident. Following an industrial injury on the oil rigs where he worked for nearly a quarter-century, he was laid up for several months with a cast on his right arm from his neck to the wrist.

His wife Louise purchased a smaller scroll saw for him to keep him from getting bored, despite the fact that he had limited knowledge of carpentry.

"I could move one way but not the other so I had to wait for a smaller cast," remembered Desnoyer of his initial experience around the machine. "Besides, I got saw dust inside the cast and I figured I shouldn't have that," he laughed.

Over time, he taught himself the art of woodcarving, but hid his creations until finally, four years ago after finishing a 22-cm coyote, he was pleased enough to display his pieces. But that didn't mean Desnoyer was hitting the market with a fury, because even he didn't know there was a demand for scroll saw work.

"I received Christmas orders and when people said 'I'll buy that, how much?' I didn't know what I should charge," explained Desnoyer about his business' humble beginnings.

Some of his pieces are displayed in his studio. A red-tailed hawk perched upon a branch, all in basswood, and an Indian head within a steer skull, bold in its red cedar, are some of his more recent works, and exemplify his style.

Instead of being satisfied with just the outline of the bird or head, Desnoyer adds what he deems are necessary incisions to bring the pieces to life such as the bird's feathers or the Indian's hair.

Desnoyer was inspired to portray wildlife in his work during the time he spent nursing his work-related injuries in sweatlodges. His physical and spiritual healing gave him a vision of animals associated with Aboriginal culture.

"I had an Elder say to me to 'Keep doing this because you have the heart and the spirit to work the wood'," he said.

Pleased with his artistic successes, Desnoyer is starting to expand his mediums to include aluminum, soapstone and moose horn. The aluminum excites him because the technique he uses-having to attach a wooden backing to the metal and placing the wood face up on the saw's table-means the finished piece isn't seen until the last cut.

Even though his creations are now in demand, there still is a part of him that doesn't want to surrender his art.

"Every piece is individual and when I'm done there's a satisfaction of doing it," said Gerry Desnoyer, adding that his pieces have been sold to collectors in the United States and Germany.

Humble about his talents, Desnoyer wants to share his knowledge by teaching courses on scroll saw artistry. He says anyone can become good at this machine because it's like any other skill where the more one practises, the better they'll become.