North Shore Hwy 61

Fritiof Runhall is a trained woodworking instructor from the acclaimed Swedish craft school, Sätergläntan, a college of handcraft located in the Dalarna region of Sweden. He is leading two multi-day traditional woodcarving courses and a public presentation on Swedish farm life.

In Runhall’s first course, Gardensljod – Handcrafting Wooden Gardening Tools (Sept 23-25), students learn to carve a wooden rake from freshly harvested birch wood and wooden tines, a traditional apple picker to help with the harvest, and a wooden weathervane carved with Swedish folk art motifs. His second course, Swedish Farmlife – Carving Wooden Spoons and Drinking Vessels (Sept 26-27), teaches students to carve wooden serving spoons and drinking vessels using the same techniques and styles used on many farmsteads across the northern part of the country.

Runhall has an entertaining evening presentation, “Swedish Farmlife: From Traditional Methods to Contemporary Expressions” (Sept 25 – 7:30pm) with examples of how before the production of hand and garden tools were replaced by industrial methods, wooden farming implements were made with simple hand tools from local natural materials. Often depicted as hard and toiling work, Fritiof will offer a fresh look at pre-industrial Swedish farm life in his presentation.