Welcome to Deciduous Creations

Welcome to Deciduous Creations. I’m Don, a woodturner based in Oak Bay, British Columbia, and I’ve been shaping wood into functional art since 2018. My journey into woodturning began unexpectedly—on a trip to New Zealand, a friend introduced me to the lathe, and something clicked. When I returned home, I dusted off an old machine tucked away in the garage and started experimenting. What began as curiosity quickly grew into a passion.

With guidance from the Island Woodturners Guild and the support of fellow makers, I upgraded to a Laguna Revo 18/36 lathe and began turning in earnest. My work is rooted in the belief that every piece of wood has a story to tell. I specialize in creating functional pieces including; bowls, platters, rolling pins, pens, and custom commissions using locally sourced and reclaimed wood—often from trees that have fallen in storms or aged out of someone’s yard. Many of my pieces come from Garry Oak, Maple, fruit trees, Cedar, and even rare finds like Aspen burl, each with its own character and grain.

I turn for the joy of the process. Sometimes the results are beautiful and lasting; sometimes they become firewood. Either way, the journey is honest. I love working with wood that has history—pieces gifted by neighbours, salvaged from local properties, or shared by friends who want to preserve a memory. If you’ve lost a tree that meant something to you, I’d be honored to help transform it into something enduring.

Sustainability is central to my practice. I repurpose wood chips for gardeners and chicken farmers, and I’m always looking for ways to minimize waste. I don’t sell online, but I do participate in local markets and events, and I welcome custom orders from the Capital Regional District and beyond. If you have wood to share or a project in mind, I’d love to hear from you.

All photography on this site is by Lori Stenson, whose eye for detail brings my work to life.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find something here that speaks to you.

— Don

DC@DeciduousCreation.com

I enjoy turning all sorts of wood, each piece of wood has its  own characteristics and personality; I let those influence what I make from it and  the final creation that comes off the lathe.  Sometimes I am lucky and create a beautiful item, other times I create a beautiful piece of firewood for a friends fireplace.  The shavings or chips that come from my turning are typically given to a gardener for composting or to a chicken farmer to keep the chickens dry and warm then composted, so nothing goes to waste.

I typically work with locally sourced wood that I get from people who have had a tree fall in a storm or one that has had to come down due to disease.  Once people know that I can turn a fallen tree into art they typically let me know of a tree they or a friend/neighbour has had come down and I and sometimes a friend go over and pick it up.

Last year a co-workers of my wife let me know they had an old Arbutus and a Garry Oak that had to come down; I have been prepping and turning wood from those for a bit now.  All the Garry Oak bowls you see here so far are from that tree.

On occasion I am fortunate enough to have someone bring me something special like the Aspen burl in the gallery or some pieces of Walnut, both very nice woods to turn and with some spectacular results.

I am always looking for more turning stock so if you know of any in the CRD please let me know.