Woodturning Artist Marcel Tardif's Beyond Ordinary Workshop and Studio

Marcel Tardif, woodturning artist beyond ordinary, the workshop and studio, Sumac Hill Creations is in Neebing Ontario, a small district in Northwestern Ontario. Marcel Tardif turned wood into art and he does it with innovative concepts that have resulted in creations such as urns and vases with hearts, eggs and butterflies all attached to one central rod that extends from the base up to the top of the piece.

The workshop

wood, wood turning, woodworking. Wood shavings swirl around you, clinging to your clothes as you spin a piece of raw lumber on a lathe. The woodworker is focused on his work, but welcomes you in to see what he's doing. He tells you about why he chose to use that particular piece of wood or how he designed his table so perfectly. You leave inspired by what you've seen and how it translates into your daily life.

The tools and materials

It is fairly easy to get started with wood turning. But there are lots of factors involved in making a piece of work turn out to be of high quality. You need the right tools, you need good wood to work on and most importantly you need proper knowledge regarding wood turning techniques. It's not just about spinning a piece of material on your lathe. Proper planning, patience, a keen eye for detail and some experience will help you make your project turn out great!

Examples of his handiwork

Tardif produces both decorative, functional woodwork as well as hand-carved personal gifts. He has designed holiday ornaments that range from a Mountie adorned with antlers to a lumberjack in blue overalls holding an axe. Throughout his studio, you'll find wine stoppers, bottle openers, eggs painted with maple leafs and other Canadian symbols; coffee mugs have taken on such subjects as beavers, prairie sunflowers and horse heads.

His personal story

When he was a kid, he loved spending his summer days at a makeshift workshop in his parent's garage. He enjoyed working with tools like hammers, handsaws, chisels and screwdrivers. Then one day he got a mini lathe for Christmas and couldn't imagine anything else to top that present. When it came time to choose which university course to pursue, Marcel knew art was something he really wanted to explore further.

Sources of inspiration

I'm very fortunate to have had access to a wood turning shop as I was growing up. My mother taught me how to work with wood, but it wasn't until I took my first sculpture class in college that I realized what drew me most to working with wood. Later that year, after attending a few shows, I purchased my first piece of lathe turned art by an American Woodturner member.

Interesting books related to wood turning

some of his favorite books on wood turning are: 1. Modern Wood Turning Techniques by Michael Dunbar, 2. The Complete Book of Sharpening by Tom Fidgen and 3. The New England Turners Woodworking Journal Annual by Ralf Greth, etc...

Marcel Tardif, woodturning artist beyond ordinary, the workshop and studio, Sumac Hill Creations