From Wood to Craft

The art of ladle carving is common to many Doukhobor men. My father also carves; our family always used wooden ladles of all shapes, sizes and purposes. For many winters I have observed my father patiently carving ladles. Although the art was his I felt a part of every finished ladle, for my contribution was falling the selected trees and cutting the logs to lengths. Recently, I wanted to try carve wooden ladles. I chose to learn from my gather because I feel his carving methods are very close to the traditional way. I wanted to share the feeling of creating a craft out of a piece of crude wood. This was my project for Doukhobor Studies, which I felt would be a beneficial and somewhat historical and traditional experience.