Carving Out a Dream

One of the first ‘rules’ in journalism is that one does not write a story in the ‘first person;’ in other words, talking from one’s own perspective and using the pronoun, “I.”

This story is an exception . . . because “I” know Cathy Krumrei, and “I” was there when she first revealed her dream.

I met Cathy at, of all places, a chainsaw safety class for women. “Women ‘n Chains,” offered by the publishers of BetterFORESTS magazine, was organized to give women basic training in the handling, maintenance, and safe use of chain saws.

The women attending the class came from all over Minnesota - and for all kinds of reasons. One woman wanted to build a sauna on the woodlands of her Tree Farm. Another wished to develop proficiency in chain saw use so she could clear and maintain cross country ski trails behind her home. An energetic lady from northern Minnesota wanted to “keep up” in the woods with her timber harvesting husband.

Cathy was standing beside me as the instructor showed gruesome pictures of the “accidents” that may happen with unsafe chain saw use. She quietly said, “I want to be a carver; I want to work with wood.”

Well, that would not have seemed strange to me, except that Cathy and I, at that time, were “just” the behind-the-press workers at a local newspaper. Making ‘pictures’ out of wood seemed as remote to me as my own dream of making “pictures” for others out of words and publishing a magazine. Having a hobby, let alone making a living with ones artistry, seemed remotely impossible.

I lost track of Cathy; we went our separate ways and, truthfully, did not cross paths for almost 20 years. When we once again met, it was at an exclusive show of woodland artistry. Cathy wasn’t at the show “shopping;” she was selling her carvings.

So, what happens when nearly 20 years go by? How do some people achieve their dreams?

“The ‘work’ I do in carving, is not just ‘carving,’ Cathy explains.

“Carving is part of me; it’s a creation. It is the part of me that speaks of time and quality, of expression.”

Cathy first picked up a carving tool at a carving class taught by northern Minnesota artisan Bill Carpenter at the Macrostie Art Gallery in Grand Rapids.

“I was totally without confidence,” Cathy admits. “I had always liked wood but I could never accurately ‘measure’ anything. When helping my husband build, he would ask me the measurement on a piece of lumber and I would sheepishly tell him, ‘8 feet plus two lines over’ on the measuring tape!”

The challenge of finding ‘two lines over’ has not handicapped Cathy. Starting with that first “blank” of basswood and admitting she has never thrown one piece of wood away (no matter how bad her work), she went on from that first class to carve chickadees, wrens, hummingbirds, and caricatures.

Does she ever tire of carving? “My mind never stops. I can take a piece of wood and, by its feel, know if it is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ for the idea in my mind.”

Cathy says that an artist’s style, be their medium wood, or paint, or clay, or pen and ink, comes from studying and observing others’ techniques. Cathy joined an internet “chat line” called The Porch, where she talked with other carvers and shared questions, techniques, and innovative ideas. She is an advocate of, and surrounds herself with people who want to share the sources of their ideas and techniques.

It is this open-minded philosophy of Cathy’s that recently brought her to the shop of Jerry Seppala near Bovey, Minnesota.

Jerry is kindred spirit with Cathy. As a long time employee of the Blandin Paper Company, Jerry found his world turned inside out when major layoffs occurred because of the shut-down of two paper-making machines. Jerry had been employed with the northern Minnesota mill for over 28 years.

Like Cathy, Jerry appreciated the look and the feel of wood. He turned what had previously been a hobby, into a full time business.

Come into his shop with me. Jerry takes a piece of rough looking wood and tells me it is from a tree that was taken off the boulevard in the nearby town of Coleraine.

“Each time you take a saw out, it is like turning the page of a book; it’s another story that unfolds.”

Jerry creates ‘stories’ in the form of beautiful tables, countertops, stools, candle holders, and holiday decor. Area tree service companies and regional timber harvesters “dump wood off” at Jerry’s doorstep. What has become a nuisance, or waste, or a hazard tree to others, becomes the medium of Jerry’s artistry.

Jerry and Cathy met at a woodcrafters’ art show. With their booths placed relatively close to one another’s, they found themselves connected in their respective talents by that thread of creativity that brings like souls together.

These two northern Minnesota artists are now collaborating on projects that will take the fruits of Cathy’s talents and carve them into the pieces Jerry creates in his own shop. Cathy is also about to publish a book on carving flowers from branches. Called “Forever Flowers” it shares ideas from “start to finish in creating floral bouquets.”

If you wish to reach either artist, call, email, or write BetterFORESTS Magazine at 218-759-7730 or katy@paulbunyan.net.