By Janet Wight

Aryn and Courtney Kern have been designing, crafting and selling artisan wooden kitchen and home accessories full-time for nearly 20 years.

Besides an entire line of cutting boards, the couple makes pizza peels, trivets, serving trays, butcher blocks, home decor and small furniture pieces.

Aryn grew up in Randall, Minnesota, while Courtney was raised in suburban Milwaukee near Lake Michigan. They met in their dormitory at Vermillion Community College in 1995 and have been together ever since.

The couple now lives just north of Little Falls, on a small farm where they raise chickens, pigs and cows. They also have an ox named Chilly, a dog named Murray and shop cats Kate, Dart and Lucas.

Aryn has always been interested in art while Courtney gravitated toward woodworking. “We always wanted to find something we could do together,” Aryn explained.

Their first art show, which was a last-minute entry, was at Glensheen in Duluth in 2006. The show went “past well,” Courtney said, and the positive feedback they received made them realize that this could be the golden opportunity they had been seeking.

All of their art pieces are made using reclaimed hardwood species: cherry, maple, walnut and white oak. These are “tight-grained, finely textured North American hardwoods,” Courtney explained.

The couple purchases waste wood — that would otherwise be discarded –from a variety of sources including sawmills and cabinet shops. The shavings from their wood shop then end up as bedding for the animals, Courtney said.

The couple describes their creations as “functional artwork” which are long-lasting and intended to be used, not just displayed. “You set the grains to oppose one another so the laminated board stays flat when you use it,” Courtney explained.

Aryn and Courtney attend at least 30 art shows per year, mostly in the upper Midwest. Prices for their wood creations range from $6 for magnets up to $250 for larger, more complex pieces.

The couple said they get a great deal of satisfaction from their craft.

“We get paid in compliments and being thanked for being there,” Aryn said. She also delights in thinking about the person who will buy an especially pretty piece as it is being crafted. “Their face will light up and they have to have it,” she added.

Courtney said, “I have had highly touching and emotional experiences, talking about people’s loved ones that were woodworkers and shop teachers that come by and give you an attaboy.” He explained that these comments are the ones that he really finds uplifting.

For beginning artists, Courtney offers some basic advice. “It’s about the work. Art equals work. Whatever you do, it’s about working at it.”

Meanwhile, Aryn has this suggestion for artists who are trying to sell their work: “You have to be open and willing to listen to what people want” in order to set yourself up for success, she said.

For additional information visit longshadowwoodworks.com.         

Janet Wight is a regular freelance writer for the Bugle.