Crafty Canadians

These unique works of art give new life to reclaimed wood

Unique, reclaimed, local and timeless. These four words, I feel, define what I am trying to achieve with my artwork. I first became interested in reclaimed wood art in 2010 after an injury made it impossible to continue working in the custom trim industry. A friend of mine was working taking down 80-to-120-year-old barns at the time and asked if I was interested in purchasing some of the wood. Growing up in an agricultural area where most barns were originally built from trees in the surrounding area, I thought that this wood needed to be put to good use; I could not let this beautiful material go to a landfill or be burned.

What I love about reclaimed wood is that it comes in so many di€erent shades of browns, greys, faded red paints and sometimes mossy green or lichen-encrusted pieces. This is what makes up 90 per cent of the colours you see in my artwork. I like using shades that Mother Nature created over time because it cannot be replicated with faux finishes; this is what makes my artwork unique compared to other works of art.

The work before beginning an art piece is time consuming in and of itself as there are several steps to take before I even place

my first piece. First, I need to sort out the di erent colours and species of wood that I will use. Once I have gathered all the materials, I need to check for any nails or other metal objects inside the wood using a metal detector to reduce damaging the blades on my machines. Once this is completed, I then split the boards in two using a band saw so that I can utilize both sides of the board; I am mainly interested in preserving the outer surface of the boards. I also use a table saw and a mitre saw to cut the pieces into the shapes needed. My pieces can take anywhere from two days to two months to complete, depending on the size and intricacy involved in the piece.

One of my favourite pieces is “Autumn Bliss” as it captures everything that I love about nature. This piece is a rendition of a tree in the fall with shades of brown making up the trunk with naturally coloured red, orange and brown “leaves” falling from the tree. This piece is set against a fiery sunset with the moon coming up in the distance. I built this piece in the fall, when it was “asking” to be built. When I am creating a new piece, the wood helps to guide my hand. The colours, patterns and beauty of the wood tells me how it should be used and how the piece wants to be constructed.

I have shipped various pieces to customers all around the world. I am grateful for the interest my clients have in my art, as most of my work is sold online sight unseen, which can be diƒcult for some, even with the detailed photographs that I provide. I have sold my work across the world to countries including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Germany and France. I work with many large art consultant companies throughout North America on various art installations in hotels, restaurants, casinos, hospitals, universities and other commercial establishments. I also work with a large residential clientele and can photoshop a prospective art piece directly into their space so that they can visualize the end result. To see more of my work, please visit my website at www.craigforget.com.

Craig wanted to thank his wife, Melissa Allen, for helping him write this story.

All of Craig’s pieces are made of reclaimed wood; pictured (clockwise from far left) are “Oak Tree,” “Autumn Bliss” and “Cedar Tree.”