Testimonials

Here is what clients of Thuja Wood Art have to say:

“Colin’s sculpture adds a sense of natural beauty and wonder to our home. We love the richness of the varied colors in the wood and the way the various lines and shapes of the piece flow. Two Trees is a treasured addition to our collection of artwork.”

Tuck and Erin, Missouri

Last Spring we commissioned Colin to make a console table and sculpture for the hall in our new townhouse. Both pieces were beyond our expectations and the care and the creativity that Colin put in to each piece was outstanding. Every time we walk in the door we see Colin’s art and It is so nice to have a piece of Pender Island in our home in North Vancouver.

Mandy and Brad Emery

North Vancouver

I commissioned this stool from Thuja a few weeks back. It was intended as a wedding gift for my daughter and new son-in-law. I wanted to gift them with something unique that had a strong west coast connection, was personal (and useful), and would last 75+ years!!! This little cedar stool exceeded all expectations! Its design and craftsmanship are awesome. A big thank-you to Colin for answering all my questions along the way and for making the stool’s pick-up on Pender Island so memorable for the newlyweds. Much appreciated. Kim

We have long been huge fans of Colin’s work. In our previous home on Pender he built us a beautiful split cedar fence with gorgeous gates that were perfect for our West Coast style house. We also purchased a couple of sculptures and so when we moved to Saltspring last fall they came with us and they look amazing flanking our new gas fireplace. Thank you so much Colin. We truly appreciate your talents!

Penelope, Salt Spring Island

Colin,

We are so in love with our koru-inspired garden gate! Our only challenge now is nurturing our garden to rise up to the quality and spirit of the art you’ve created for us. Thank you for making the process so easy. You took a photo of our poor ailing gate and our thematic request and sketched a custom design in a way that made the entire process effortless for us. The hand-split cedar is beautiful and we love the wood burning effect you employed. And were so grateful for the remote help in making delivery and installation away from Pender possible. Thank you for helping us add such a beautiful welcoming frame to our garden!

The pups think it’s pretty cool too. They promise not to bust through this one like the last one! 😉

Shawna and Brad, North Vancouver

“We have known Colin for a number of years now and wouldn’t go to anyone else for woodworking projects. He is a true artist and we are lucky to have found him.

His furniture is beautifully made, solid and of a quality not found in store bought items. We enjoy the quirky elements that he includes such as the live edges and twists in the wooden legs which gives each chair and table a unique quality. We love the fact that he uses reclaimed wood for his projects and will treasure the dining table and chairs forever.”
Sara and David Turner
Salt Spring Island. BC

testimonials from Don Dear Colin,
Lisa and I want to express our deepest thanks to you for our new handsplit cedar gates. Ever since you showed us photos of your creations in Victoria, we knew we wanted you to unleash your skills at our place.
We sincerely appreciated your neighbourly assistance in the layout and design, and for the creative touches you added at the end. Not only do we have solid, well built wooden gates to help keep the deer out of our garden, but a wonderful unique and aesthetic addition to our yard.

We’ve received many compliments on the gates and hope it will inspire others to call you on your amazing craftsmanship.

All the best,
Don Harrison & Lisa Fleming
Pender Island, BC, Canada

Dear Colin,
testimonials from Hilde Here is the long promised photo of the wonderful bench you made for us, happily nestled into its new home. We especially appreciate the wide arm rests suitable for drink holders and we love the way the bench blends into its environment. The knowledge that it’s made from reclaimed wood is priceless. Keep up the good work.

Hilde in California

Dear Colin,

Thank you for creating our beautiful driveway gates. Everyone who passes through them has made comment on the unique gate design and the wonderful use of wood. Your attention to detail and craftsmanship is evident in the finished gates; and we love the marriage of wood and metal to achieve an interesting effect. We appreciate your collaboration with another respected local craftsman, George Hudson of Weldform. The finished result has elements of motion, harmony and unconventionality. Yet the gates feel completely organic and in scale at our driveway’s end here in Port Washington. The photographs speak for themselves.

testimonials from Murray We also wanted to commend you on the work you did on our patio with the incorporation of the magnificent stone wall. It was a complicated project that involved a high level of design, function and safety features. By using local materials you created a wall that feels like it belongs on the property.

Sharon and Murray Vasilev
Port Washington
Pender Island

testimonials

Dear Colin,

Joanne and I are extremely pleased with the garden bench that you have created for us. The entire process working with you on the creative design and discussion of materials and assembly methods you would use through to completion was effortless and rewarding. You truly captured and surpassed our expectations in what we envisioned. bench testimonials Your timing and costing was also handled in a friendly business like manner.

The selection of cedar that you used also makes our bench very unique, original and comfortable. With its multi-toned wood to the smooth curves it is a pleasure to sit on and appreciate.

We would not hesitate in recommending you to your future customers. You reflect the true Pender Island spirit in the way you conduct your business. Keep up the good work.

Thanks again,

Ken and Joanne Schaeffers

Thank you, Colin! Why have a piece of fine art that you hang on a wall when you can have one that you can swing on in your garden?

Peter and Mary Ann Pare, Pender Island