Artisans have the ability to transform a piece of wood into a table, chest or sculpture.
It takes skill and craftsmanship to accomplish the task.
For someone interested in the art form a difficulty can be determining where to gain knowledge.
For Tony Dobson, a retired teacher, uncovering options in Nanaimo to learn these skills proved difficult.
“Nanaimo and the central Island area has no community recreation courses for woodworking. It’s been a disappointment,” said Dobson.
Dobson said there are carpentry programs in Nanaimo at Vancouver Island University, but he wanted training in fine woodworking.
The VIU carpentry program, according to its website teaches attendees basic carpentry skills to prepare them for employment in the building industry.
He wanted to learn the “artisan end of the craft,” said Dobson.
He’s been travelling to Victoria to attend fine woodworking classes at Camosun College. Fine woodworking builds on the foundation of carpentry to expand the art form.
“Fine woodworking is the artisan end of it, the crafts,” said Dobson.
In February he founded the Mid-Island Woodworkers’ Guild.
“Since then there has been a really enthusiastic response,” said Dobson.
The guild’s goals are to encourage the creation of community recreation programs for teaching woodworking skills; provide a platform for woodworkers to gather and share knowledge, skills and crafts; offer mentoring programs and assist new woodworkers, provide tool exchange and wood working supply purchasing options, share and recycle wood resources in the community, encourage youth to participate in woodworking after high school and support local charities through the distribution of finished woodworking products.
Dobson said not everybody has a shop or the tools to pursue woodworking and he dreams of creating a community woodworking shop.
Since creating the group, Dobson said he has connected with other woodworkers around the mid-Island and some of the artistry on pieces people are creating is “amazing.”
“There’s some fantastic artists out there,” said Dobson.
Dobson said he was always interested in woodworking since he was a teen, but didn’t have the time or financial means to pursue it until he retired.
“I love the beauty of woodworking. The wood itself is lovely to work with. I love the smell when I go in there,” said Dobson about stepping into his woodworking shop.
There is a $25 initiation fee to join the guild and the annual fee is $50.
The guild hosts meetings the second Wednesday of every month at Nanaimo District Secondary School’s meeting room A at 7 p.m. The next meeting is April 13. For more information please go to http://miwg.ca, call Dobson at 250-716-6874 or e-mail tony.dobson@me.com.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
