ARTIST PROFILE
Cathy Collins
Cathy Collins is a self-taught craftsman/artist taking fretwork to the level of fine craft. Using a scroll saw, minute drill bits, and the skill in her hands, she cuts intricate patterns from wood harvested on the family farm. "I use the finished wood to produce my products," she says.
Cathy's husband Clark and son-in-law Sydney harvest the trees. "The family is environmentally conscious. We harvest only damaged or matured trees, and whatever is not used for woodworking is used for heat or as bedding material by local farmers."
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Working at her studio in Bruce Mines, Ontario, Cathy Collins takes her art very seriously. She is constantly upgrading her equipment and skills. She has also researched the history of her craft, tracing it back as far as the Egyptian tombs.
Many viewers don't realize the intricate detail in her pieces is not done with a pen until they look closely. What appear to be drawn lines are actually independent saw cuts. |
Cathy explains there are two methods of producing fretwork. The one she uses is the actual cutting of each small detail. The other, a modern technique, is done not by hand but by computerized laser.
Artworks Copyright 2003 by Cathy Collins
