Hornby Journal 4

There is something about workshops. I love them. Probably because growing up everyone around me had one. There are old family photos of my dad’s, uncle’s, and Grampa’s all being built and many memories of projects and experiments being completed. There are a few things universal to evey shop. There are always stacks of wood ends that will someday be needed and old coffee or tabacco cans to hold collections of nails, screws, bolts, and nuts. There are always numerous containers of glue – all opened before. Each shop has its own aura of organized chaos no matter how structured the inhabitant may be. And of course there is always dust and saw-dust – it just wouldn’t smell the same without it. I have been photographing the home workshop lately. My Grampa is featured in his shop in my gallery of personal work on our main website and there will be more to come. When we were up for the Hornby retreat I asked Jennifer’s husband Marc if I could photograph him in his workshop. He had an old clock he had been meaning to start converting into storage so let me follow him around for a bit. There is something incredibly gratifying about making it yourself. Seeing a finished product in your mind and setting to work in the shop and then there it is – all sanded and finished and ready for use. I also feel there is something a little bit Canadian about all of this – Red Green’s entire show took place in his shop afterall. My dad has often quoted his advice “If the women don’t find you handsome they should at least find you handy” Shops are especially common for those who live rurally – no one is going to come way out to you so you should know how to do it yourself. It also saves a lot of money and lets you re-use pretty much anything. So here are some images of Marc in his shop and some of his finished handy-work. I have to say that the ta daaa rubber chicken bird house is the best I have seen – it makes me laugh each time I look at it and sing “ta-daaaaaaaaa”. Thanks Marc for letting me in the shop – who know what is yet to be created there! One more post tomorrow on the Hornby Photo retreat which will be a variety of images of the retreaters and beautiful Hornby.