Page 77 - William D. Roach, Woodcarver

ISSUE : Issue 60

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1992/6/1

take a piece of wood, and something comes out of it that I didn't expect. I'll start carving, and it'll turn into something. Especially a piece of wood that I'll find in the woods, that's the shape. Now, I'll think it's a certain thing, and I'll start carving on it, and all of a sudden, oh-- as I'm carving it, I feel the life come into the block. Then I know what it's supposed to be. Because, I've carved a carving of Marguerite Gallant. A small one, just a bust. And I wanted it to look like Marguer? ite Gallant. One day I came into the house, I said to my wife, "I don't know." I said, "It's not --it doesn't seem to be going right," The second day, the same way. The third day, I said, "I don't know if I'm going to get it right," "Well," she said, "keep on go? ing." She said, "You haven't been conquered yet." She said, "Anything you've ever tackled has turned out," Some days, you see,,.I'11 feel like-- kiddish, you know, about my carving. Now, I'll get something like this, which I called "The Blue Goose," because I didn't know what to call it! ' Looked like a goose. But the reason that I'll think the kid way, is because kids like the stuff I make, and they like colourful. And by listening to kids, some? times I think the kid way, and I'll make some? thing, you know, kind of--I guess what you'd call kid stuff--that kids would like. ??v-:; So the next day I went out and I--this doesn't sound good, but-- to hold it, I had the head between my legs, you know, upside down. And I was carving around the ears, so I wasn't see? ing what the carving was looking like. But I knew where I had to take some wood off. So I was taking the wood around the ear, with the head upside down between my legs. And, amazing, once I got down enough on the wood around the ear, I felt that was it, that I had it. So I turned it the right way up, and I put it on the table and looked at it. And sure enough, I had it, you know. I felt it, without even seeing it. So then I came in for a coffee, and I was all smiles. I said to my Linda, I said, "Got it! I know I got it now," Now I knew which way to go. So, Carving by William Roach/ photo by Daniel Aucoin (You've been making carvings of Sidney Ho- . .' ward, another Cape Bre- ? ., ... ton artist,) Sidney Ho- S ??>.' • ?'''T ward was a--I met him _..-.'"'- • ..Ifei''i'v about 3 years ago. And ' • ??'C;;'''.'~'??b--:.; '"'"'"~ oh, he--I don't know if '??-, • ??- • /,-??'<'??' ' he loved my work or ??'',.'''" " "* ' what, but he seemed to. ??''.- _' ??'''??..,...- -. And he's been a carver .-" • '. >'...-',-, for a few years. And he .V*. , y-'.,v>i'i,..,-l ,' said to me, "Look," he Jy -..-.'' • • ? said, "us old fellows are all going out. Pret? ty soon there'll be none left," he said, "Should carve," he said, "Should keep going," he said. (See "Sidney Howard of Albert Bridge" in Issue 26 of CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE,) For a woman from Ontario, asked Myles Kehoe if I could make her a rooster, and I hadn't made one before, of any kind. So I told Myles, "Oh, yes, I think I can make her one," So I made one, and I brought it to Myles for him to ship it to this woman that he knew. And that woman never got her rooster to this day, (Why is that?) Because Bruce'sl Place Spaghetti, Lasagna, Fettucini Alfredo Subs, Burgers, Quality Steaks and Bruce's own Pizza Pizzazz with more than 15 toppings to choose from FULLY LICENSED TAKE-OUT AVAILABLE ceo C/inn • Welton Plaza ' weacceptthe jO??,'OHtjJ Sydney, N.S. major credit cards. PEN: IVIon-Thu 11 am-11 pm • Fri & Sat 11 am-Midnight • Sun Noon-11 pm RESTAURANT OPEN EVERY DAY: 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. • Country • Bluegrass • Rock • Folk Fiddle and Newfoundland Music Largest Atlantic Region Music selection in Eastern Canada. Tap your toe to Cape Breton & Newfoundland Fiddle, Accordion & Folk Music, & "Down East" Presentations. Write or ask for our list of Newfoundland & Maritime Music. ~ Available by Mail Order ~ 2 miles south of CHETICAMP, on the Cabot Trail P.O.Box 516, Cheticamp, NS BOE 1H0 • Ph: (902)224-3782

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