Hello, and welcome, to Dugout Canoe Love! I am your DUGOUT CANOE CARVER, Churchill Clark. I travel the country, looking for really big trees. I go where the trees take me. If the tree wants to be a canoe, I help it on it's journey, by carving it with my adze. Once completed, I must give the dugout canoe a story, as I introduce it to a beautiful river.
My first teachers were John Ruskey, and Lee Gilbert/Lee Guthrie (Lee squared). They taught me the spectacular process of carving a dugout canoe, while I was re-enacting the Lewis and Clark Expedition, for the Bicentennial. William Clark is my 4th-great-grandfather, and I travelled the Trail to honor him. The trees have taught me, as well. There's always more to learn. Working on the canoes, and paddling them for thousands of miles, has changed my life! I fell in love with the dugouts. I guess you could say, "It's in my blood."
My goal is to share the dugout canoe experience with as many people as I can! My "Canoe Camps" are always open to the public, and I encourage visitors to "get choppin'". I love working with schools, and encourage them to contact me.
My latest project is in Republic, Washington. I just started working on a ponderosa pine, at Curlew Lake. This tree had an eagle's nest on it, when it blew apart in a micro-burst, last year. In a very awkward position, lying on a hill, it poses it's own, unique challenges. I've started choppin', with my trusty adze, already. Now, if you like, you can follow the journey. Welcome, once again, to Dugout Canoe Love!
CANOE! CANOE!
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