All the little experiences we go through in life are how we find our passions.

This is especially true for Sooke artist Phoebe Dunbar, who after many twists and turns in her life revolving around her love of nature, eventually found her passion: wood art.

Dunbar grew up in West Vancouver with three siblings, John, Tim and Mary, and her two parents, David and Babs Brock.

B次元官网网址淲e lived by a beach and my father was a nature enthusiast, so he would often teach my siblings and I about the different types of driftwood floating in from the ocean,B次元官网网址� said Dunbar.

In her teenage years, Dunbar and her twin sister would paddle out to different islands and spend days exploring the outdoors and camping.

After high school graduation, Dunbar studied social work in college where she met her husband, Bob Dunbar, and in 1979, the two moved to Sooke.

Dunbar worked as an extra-curricular coordinator for Edward Milne Community School. Through this, she helped students build longboats that are still used by the Sooke Classical Boating Society.

She explained that she enjoyed building boats, and sometimes her and Bob would go on paddling trips and carve small projects together.

B次元官网网址淚 remember the one time we carved a little a chess set,B次元官网网址� Dunbar said.

In 1998, Dunbar retired, but it wasnB次元官网网址檛 until she took a carving class with local carver Victor Newman and tried her hand at wood art that she found her passion.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of it at the start was functional, people just wanted bowls,B次元官网网址� Dunbar said.

She specializes in making bowls and vessels, but lately has been trying her hand at making more decorative pieces.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just this really creative space that you get into, I guess itB次元官网网址檚 kind of meditative of sorts,B次元官网网址� Dunbar said.

She finds most of her wood supply while out on hikes or in the ditches, but also has people donate wood to her.

B次元官网网址淢y number one rule is always carry a chainsaw in your truck,B次元官网网址� laughed Dunbar.

She often uses burrows from trees to carve the bowls, which can be anywhere from 40 to 500 years old.

B次元官网网址淭hey are really B次元官网网址榞arbageyB次元官网网址� looking wood, you wouldnB次元官网网址檛 know that you can make something really beautiful out of them,B次元官网网址� Dunbar said.

DunbarB次元官网网址檚 favourite part about creating an art piece is sculpting and sanding where she can see it start to reveal itself.

B次元官网网址淚 usually donB次元官网网址檛 really know what IB次元官网网址檓 making until I start to work with it and sculpt it and let the wood tell me what itB次元官网网址檚 going to be,B次元官网网址� said Dunbar. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 explain it, itB次元官网网址檚 just like this atonement you have with the wood.B次元官网网址�

She added that her passion for woodwork just found itB次元官网网址檚 way to her, and working in her studio is where she finds a lot of peace and joy.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 so happy to have my carving shed, itB次元官网网址檚 very comfortable, and a very special place where I can just go and be by myself,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淛ust me and my tools, itB次元官网网址檚 a very beautiful zone to be in.B次元官网网址�