The Stinson Studio
By Michael Saxe
F
or nearly thirty years Don Stinson has
been creating wooden bowls, tables
and other functional pieces of wooden
art in his studio outside of Tamworth. What
began in the “dim confines of a 150 year old
horse stable” has evolved into a full family operation in an ever-expanding, modern studio
that also employs several full and part-time
employees. As a university student studying
Outdoor Education and furniture design,
Don would turn wooden bowls by hand on a
lathe between classes; what began, says Stinson, as “unstructured moments of self-expression” has led to awards at the Toronto Outdoor Art Show, the Harbourfront Art Show
and an induction into the One of a Kind Hall
of Fame. Don’s work has found its way to
Scotland, Germany, Hong Kong and New
Zealand, amongst other places, and even into
the hands of the current emperor of Japan.
Following a devastating fire in early
2000, the Stinsons were forced to rebuild the
studio. The fire was not only a significant setback to production, but it also delayed Don’s
induction into the One of a Kind Hall of
Fame. Initially slated to be the initial inductee, Don was inducted a year later, as one of
the first three members of the One of a Kind
Hall of Fame. Since then, the studio has been
rebuilt and modernized, and now produces
a wide range of bowls, as well as tables, cutting and paté boards, and coasters. A squareedged salad bowl, mirrors and a sugar shackinspired coat rack with spigots for hooks are
recent additions. In addition to the functional
pieces, the Stinsons also produce sculptural
pieces from burls, unique pieces of wood that
form as a kind of scar tissue when a tree is
damaged.
The Stinsons spend the slow season after the holiday rush experimenting and
gaining insights into materials and developing new pieces and techniques, thus making
them innovators in their art. While some influences come from pottery, most of the work
is born of self-contained experimentation,
and having fun with wood and tools on wintry afternoons. This sense of fun is certainly
evident when visiting the studio; music plays
loud enough to be heard over the lathe, saws
and sanders, and a creative energy (along with
sawdust) is in the air. One certainly gets the
sense that the Stinsons love what they do.
The entire Stinson family, wife
Joanne, daughter Emma and sons Jesse and
Spike, share a passion for the environment
and the outdoors. All members of the family are accomplished paddlers and spend time
teaching kayaking and canoeing in Labrador,
James Bay and Georgian Bay. The whole
family is also active in the Studio, producing work, finishing bowls, or helping out at
shows. This year, Jesse, Don’s eldest son, has
joined him full-time in the studio. Jesse, like
his brother and sister, grew up in and around
the studio,“playing in the studio as much as in
the house.” While attending McGill University in Montreal, Jesse would spend his summers off teaching Outdoor Education and
working with Don in the studio.“Working in
the studio full time this year felt like the right
move,” says Jesse, who brings not only a skilled
set of hands, but also a younger perspective
to the business. Jesse envisions “an old fash-
ioned family run business growing
and adapting with the times, utilizing modern business practices
and opportunities.” The Studio
has recently opened its doors and
is hosting Open Studio weekends,
giving the public an opportunity to
see the studio, visit with the artists,
and purchase the Stinson’s work
in person. “During our September
Open Studio weekend we are going to be pressing apple cider in
our homemade press,” Jesse says,
“[and] one of our horses is due early September, so they might even
see our newest, four-legged family
member.” The Studio is also using
digital media to expand their business, including online retailing and
communication through social networking sites such as Facebook and
Twitter. Don emphasizes his working relationship with his children,
saying, “I never wanted my children
working for me. I always welcomed
them to work with me…our family
business is truly a collective effort…
Jesse and I share many of the same
perspectives and goals, as well as a
strong mutual respect.”
It is the Stinson’s choice
of wood that makes their work
unique. They select Eastern Canadian timber, such as ash, maple
and birch from small, sustainable
woodlots. Rather than choosing the
clearest pieces of lumber for their work, they
select wood that would be unacceptable for
conventional furniture or flooring and otherwise destined for the pulp mill. Although the
Stinsons often produce standardized pieces
for large orders, no two pieces are alike. A
maple tree that was once tapped for its sap
yields a vein of colour in a tabletop. Evidence
of worm holes within the wood accents the
side of a cutting board, and a multitude of
knots, streaks and imperfections in the wood
give each piece created in the Stinson studio its beauty; each piece has its own individual character and can be revealing of the
history of the wood. The Stinsons’ work is
representative of the beauty of the natural
environment, and the distinctiveness of the
Canadian landscape. In essence, the personality of each piece is unique, and not only the
identity of the wood, but the philosophy and
motivations of its creator.
This philosophy is evident not only
in the work produced by the Stinsons, but
also in the production methods of the Studio. The Stinson Studios is a highly sustainable and environmentally responsible
operation. Bowls and burls are often carved
one out of the other, “babushka doll style,” to
maximize the number of pieces produced
from one piece of wood. Shavings are donated to a local abattoir for use in composting, or collected by friends and neighbors for
use as mulch in gardens. Wood scraps are
used as well, both to heat the Stinson family’s home, and the shop, but also to operate
a wood-drying kiln, which Jesse says “cuts
down the drying time of [our] lumber from
two years to less than two months.” Long
before organics and clean eating was trendy,
Don was finishing and repairing his pieces
with beeswax, canola oil and other non-toxic
products. The Stinsons are exploring the use
of biofuel made from waste wood to power
See pg 13
Jesse Stinson photographed by Barry Lovegrove, 2010
!
W
E
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PIZZA’S ON!!!
SQUARE BOY PIZZA NOW BAKED FRESH IN OUR STORE!
HOME OF THE BIGFOOT.
WINGS - WEDGE FRIES . BREADSTICKS
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We now serve up a complete
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line of fresh subs!
Call our hot pizza hotline to order: Too delicious to be true!
378-2000
Lots and lots and lots of fresh LOCAL produce on
hand. Sweet, sweet corn! Country Style coffee and
fresh baked goods daily. Nestle Ice Cream (scoop)
and Slush Puppies. Gas, diesel, propane
Ice & worms . Grocery needs . Garden Mums
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We have far too many
items to list! Come pay us a
visit in Camden East.
“Nothing beats our Ice
Movie rentals
Cream
after our Pizza!”
Shoes, boots and clothing
Local Quinn’s meats, Wilton Cheese and Reinink’s eggs
613-378-2683 McCormick’s
Weekdays 5:30 am-9:30 pm
Saturdays 6 am-9:30 pm
Sundays 7 am-9:30 pm
The Scoop SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2010
Country Store
Page 12
their studio, significantly reducing their environmental impact.
Along with this distinctive and
personal approach to the creation of each
piece is a different sort of relationship between producer and customer. Customers
ordering online are sent photos of several
pieces within their specifications to choose
from. The customer’s selection process often
has as much to do with the personality of
the customer or recipient as with the type
of wood or style of bowl. For many, a Stinson bowl is a standard gift for weddings and
housewarmings, and the Stinsons’ success is
marked not only by the continued growth
of the business, but also by the loyalty of
their customers. When asked to recount a
special story about where a bowl has ended
up, Jesse is at a loss.“There isn’t a particular
story. It is more about how often the nice
little stories come up about where people
are taking a bowl, or where they have
seen one of our pieces.” With a long list of
achievements behind him, it is surprisingly
easy for Don to name his greatest accomplishment: “I think the best success I have
experienced is to have survived and grown
in my craft.”
The next Open Studio Day at
Stinson Studios will be held September 2526.They can be reached on the Internet at
www.stinsonstudios.ca, by email at stinsons@
stinsonstudios.ca, on Facebook and Twitter or
by phone at 613-379-2177.
Book S h o p
Quality Second Hand Books
www.tamworthbookshop.com
Bridge Street East at Peel, Tamworth
Six Great Reads
By Lorie Wright
Helen Dewitt. The Last Samurai. (2000).
American author born in 1957. A young boy’s search to discover who his father is... possibly a
Samurai from a Kurasawa film? Funny, absorbing, stimulating. Published in 20 languages!
Christopher Dewdney. Demon Pond. (1994)
Canadian writer and poet, born in London, Ontario, now living in Toronto. Dewdney’s most
accessible work.
Katherine Mansfield. In a German Pension. (1911).
Short stories by this New Zealand born writer. Virginia Woolf wrote in her diary that
Mansfield’s was “the only writing I have ever been jealous of.”
Sterling North. Rascal. (1963).
Subtitled: A memoir of a better era. . Set in Wisconsin during the final year of WWI. An
eleven year old boy’s adventures raising a baby raccoon. Young adult novel, beautifully written.
Recommended for all ages.
Jacques Poulin. Volkswagen Blues. (1984).
Poulin’s writing reveals the magic of existence within everyday life. A Canadian treasure, made
accessible to English readers through translations by Sheila Fischman.
Hundreds of new arrivals
Fri Sat Sun, 11 am - 4 pm
379-2108
Robert Wright Books
Abraham Verghese. Cutting for Stone. (2010).
Author born of Kerala parents who were teachers in Ethiopia. He is now professor at the
Stanford University School of Medicine. First novel. Anyone with twin obsession? Well
written and absorbing.
Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Canada
International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
Now open for the season.
Erinsville Rocks
By Barry Lovegrove
T
hey say it pays to advertise, to get your
project out there, to let people know
what you’re about or what you’re selling. Teeshirts and ball caps are walking bill boards.
We all wear them now without realizing
what impact
they might
have. I live
in
Erinsville and am
proud of it.
In fact I had
some TeeShirts made
at Hart n’
Hart
in
Napanee
that read,
“ Erinsville
R o c k s .”
That slogan
was used Erinsville Rocks
in last year’s
Scoop Golf
Tournament in Verona. Anyone that lives in
this area knows that rocks play a big part in
Erinsville and if you have ever tried to dig a
post hole you know what I mean. A couple
of years ago I tried to dig up a rock from my
front lawn as the lawn mower kept hitting
it. Well the deeper I got around the rock the
bigger it got so I ended up filling it in and
now just lift the blade when I mow over it.
The word “Rocks” also has another meaning
like “This place really rocks.” It has something special going for it.
I was at a major store the other day in Kingston and happened to be wearing one of my
Tee-Shirts with the words “Erinsville
Rocks” printed on it and as I was cashing
in my stuff the lady behind the cash register said to me, “Erinsville, is that the little
place north of Napanee on Hwy 41?” to
which I replied proudly, Yes! She then told
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613-379-2202
Good food prepared fast. Lottery tickets.
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me that she and her husband often stop
on their way up north to their cottage to
get an ice cream from the Beaver Lake
Convenient Store, then they go across the
road and sit in the Lions Park over looking Beaver Lake. “It helps us unwind. It’s
a beautiful place to stop and so clean and
well maintained.”
I walked out of the store with my
head held a little bit higher and thought to
myself, Yes Erinsville really does Rock!
Does your place “Rock” where you
live? Let us know at The Scoop. We would
love to hear your stories. Who knows, it
might even make the next issue of The
Scoop.
The Scoop SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2010
LAND CLEARING
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TRUCKING & EQUIPMENT RENTALS
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613-388-2460
Cell: 613-561-6585
Page 13