Carving

Spoon, bowl, paddle and canoe carving projects by Christopher Roy.

  • ‘West Coast’ Slöjd Style Carving Tools

    I’ve recently retooled my workspace to focus on carving more spoons and small greenwood kitchen tools—spatulas, chopsticks, and similar pieces. Projects at this scale keep my carving rhythm alive between larger projects like feast bowls, paddles, and canoes. To support…

  • |

    ‘Xwaaqw’um’ Re-launch of the Snuhwulh (Canoe)

    Seven years ago, I had the honour of working as an assistant carver alongside Tla-o-qui-aht Master Carver Tutakwisnapšiƛ Joe Martin and Lead Carver/Project Steward Joe Akerman to create a Coast Salish canoe. In the local Hul’qumi’num language, the word for…

  • ‘Emerald Forest’ Feast Bowl

    I’d originally envisioned this piece as a lightning bowl. Lightning and thunder are very rare where I live now on the coast—unlike in Ontario, Canada, where I grew up. While I was first shaping this bowl, a few of those…

  • ‘Into the Corner’ Yew Laddle Shovels

    These mid-sized, asymmetrical ladle spoons are carved from Pacific Yew, using offcuts from a paddle-making project. Each spoon carries the unique grain and colour variations of the wood, revealing both strength and subtle elegance. Finished by hand with a blend…

  • ‘Wave Rider’ Alder Feast Bowl

    Inspired by my canoe work with Tutakwisnapšiƛ Joe Martin, I’ve started creating small feast bowls. Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at numerous—let’s call them creative—cultural and artistic expressions of carving. I’ve had the great honour of working alongside…

  • |

    ‘Xwaaqw’um’ Snuhwulh Canoe Carving and Launch

    After nearly six months of dedicated work, the Xwaaqw’um Snuhwulh (canoe) was launched today, greeted with joy and pride by the many relations who gathered to celebrate. The launch was marked with dancing, songs, and ceremony led by local elder…

  • ‘Deadly Quiet’ Pair of Paddles

    Canoe paddles are a remarkable Indigenous technology. They are inherently simple in design—and like many things that appear simple, they are often complex to make. Well-crafted paddles are made for an individual. Their proportions are aligned with the dimensions of…

  • ‘Kestrel’ Custom Carving Tools

    Using the offcuts from my first paddle-making project with Carl Martin, I set out to make my first set of carving tools—custom-made and shaped to fit my hands. The blades are high-carbon steel from Kestrel Tools, and the handles are…

  • ‘Denoon’ First Chaputs Canoe

    During my first visit to the Carving on the Edge Festival, where I made my first yew wood paddle with Carl Martin, I also met Carl’s brother, Tutakwisnapšiƛ Joe Martin. Joe was an active carver, teacher, mentor to many, and…

  • ‘Wrestling with Yew’ First Paddle

    After several failed attempts to make what seemed like a simple paddle—and a chance encounter on a BC Ferry with legendary coastal carver Godfrey Stevens and a recommendation from my wife—I found myself at the Carving on the Edge Festival…