ARTICLE - THE "MUSKOKAN" SHOW EDITION - WINTER 1998

By Cathy Kuntz

"...all nature is full of invisible people... some of these are ugly or grotesque, some wicked or foolish, many beautiful beyond any one we have ever seen, and... the beautiful are not far away when we are walking in the pleasant and quiet places."

W.B. Yeats, Mythologies

    According to Germanic folklore, trolls lurk in forests and lakes and are able to travel easily through water, wood, air, fire and stone. They have great power over all things natural.

    Ken Veitch of Bracebridge has fun with the idea that trolls could inhabit our world. He makes "Muskoka Trolls" out of driftwood. They are a delightful culmination of his love of nature, rich imagination and his fascination with the weathering process of wood --- how wind and water transform a branch or part of a tree into a natural piece of art.

    "I'm not a carver," he's quick to emphasize. "I let nature do the carving. I look at the piece, and accent what I think nature has created."

    Veitch collects driftwood while canoeing and hiking. He picks pieces of wood with specific creatures in mind. Each troll has a personality all its own, shaped by nature's weathering forces and the imagination of the observer.

He brings them back to his workshop and gently cleans them up with a brush and a drill. "I get rid of the sand, and glue together any loose parts. If it needs an eye or little mouth, I'll add it. But really, nature has finished it better than I ever could," Veitch explains.

    He treats the wood to prevent deterioration. Then, the pieces are squared off and a wooden base or wire attached.

    A small paper tag accompanies each troll, describing the enchanting story of Muskoka Trolls, the specific character of the troll, where it was found and its own number. Veitch also keeps a record of the information for himself.

    Muskoka Trolls are masters of disguise and use the fine art of camouflage to pretend they are other things. Veitch holds up different pieces of driftwood while I try to name the animal or creature it represents. A troll pretending to be a loon, a fish, an owl, a frog, a dragon.

    Veitch borrowed the Muskoka Troll idea from the corn husky Smoky Mountain Trolls he and his wife, Sharon, came across while visiting Gatlinberg, Tennessee. He returned home and registered "Muskoka Trolls" as a business, although he prefers to think of it more as a hobby. "It's developed into something a lot of people like, and seem to appreciate," says Veitch.

    Piles of wood are scattered through his basement workshop. Some lie under a table, waiting to be brought to life. Others sit on the workbench, awaiting the wooden base or wire that will enable them to stand or fly, revealing their true identity. Alder poles stand propped up against a table.

    Veitch is surprised at the sudden popularity of his latest addition to the Muskoka Trolls line --- walking sticks.

With a knife, he demonstrates how bark is stripped off an alder branch, and how exposure to the air changes the underlying wood to a golden colour. Some of his walking sticks have little carved faces on them.

    His face lights up when he shows me his walking sticks made from diamond willow, a willow naturally decorated with beautiful black diamond shapes.

    Veitch was born in Ufford and grew up surrounded by the beauty of Muskoka. He retired from his job as Bracebridge's town clerk two years ago, a job he held for 30 years and one which earned him a great deal of respect in Muskoka and beyond. He continues to promote the community and is one of the area's best ambassadors. His walking sticks and trolls can be found at the Bird Mill Mews Gallery and at the Grassmere Paddles booth at the upcoming Sportsman Show in Toronto.

    Recently, a young boy bought one of Muskoka Trolls "Young-Uns" series at the gallery and was so enthralled with the small wooden shape that he returned the next day with his parents to buy the remaining trolls. He recognized the magic of trolls.

    Years ago, children had fewer toys and relied on nature and their imagination to provide them with playthings; wood was an abundant material that came in all shapes and sizes.

    Today, Ken Veitch exposes adults and children to the artistry of nature through his Muskoka Trolls.