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close to the working end, suspend the spoon horizontally from a hook so it will hold seed, add a carved bird as a decorative touch.” And that handle you've cut off, it becomes garbage, right? “No, those I turn into fireplace hooks. I drill a hole and insert a thin metal rod. Some bending, and you have a strong, durable hook with a long handle that you can use to tend wood in your fireplace.” Birdhouses were Wayne’s initial creations. “Thad an eye for different designs,” he recalls. “I’ve always enjoyed old architecture, so I incorporated that aspect with the birdhouse theme. After a bit of practice, I found they worked well as decorations, either inside the house or out.” At first, his artistic inclinations were — in fact, had to be - only a spare-time pursuit. “My wife and I were always hooked on antiques and gift shops, and that combination of interests grew into Luke’s Country Store. We started small, but that business grew by leaps and bounds until we had locations in both Port Perry and Oshawa. But after 30 years, I’d had enough. I can’t say that I'd worked out a definite plan for my retirement, but I did know that I wanted to be busy. You can’t work like we did on the store, and then suddenly go from that to doing nothing. Art became my ‘second career’ almost by acci- dent because I was looking for an enjoyable outlet for my time.” A few birdhouses had found their way into the Coun- try Store prior to Wayne’s retirement, and sold well. So they provided him with a logical starting point, once the day arrived when he had greater time to pursue his pas- sion. Newly-minted birdhouses would eventually find their way into a number of retail stores as far afield as Unionville, Newmarket, and Oakwood. But success with that one item didn’t suggest stagna- tion with a single idea. “J enjoyed the birdhouses, but at the same time I started to wonder what else I could make. I bought rolls of barbed wire and made them into balls, again as garden ornaments. “I saw where welding would be a useful skill, sol bought a small unit, learned to use it, eventually pur- chased a bigger one as my need expanded. “Then I discovered wooden staircase spindles. They became my ‘Garden Girls.’” The creations begin by sharpening one end of the spindle, so the finished product can easily be sunk into the ground. At the opposite end, a female face, each with its own unique and funky charm. Wayne d Brakes Alignments Tune Ups SUPERIOR. TIRE z2AUTO 1511 Reach Street, Port Perry » 905-985-1999 Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-6pm + Saturdays 8am-2pm PROTECT ETL) Sflutions Those You Love Ti Whether it’s your family, ime home, business or your fora car, protect wi yours with insurance } No ew solutions designed ita? Porites Website? 126 Water Street, 2nd Floor W.0. INSURANCE BROKERS ort Perry Dale Gibbons OwnerBroker 905-982-0450 905-436-9090 www.cmswebsolutions.com ITCHEN is the heart of the hems: RENOVATIONS D. YOUR DESIGN - BUILD SPECIALISTS rLUCYE the curly hair which tops a few of the Girls. “That hairstyle starts as a length of thin wire,” he says, indicating a roll on his tool bench. “I fasten it to a flat drill bit, spin it a few revolutions, stop and gently play out the winding, then a few more revolutions before cut- ting it off at the length I want. The next Garden Girl will have those crazy ringlets.” Please turn to page 24 Referrals are the core of our business Kitchens ~ Windows & Doors ~ Bathrooms FOCUS - JUNE 2014 23