Karen Guzman
Karen Guzman is a health regulator by day with a keen interest in working with her hands when off the clock. Whether it is a home DIY project, sailing, or making wooden spoons, she is always looking for her next project. Guzman currently lives in Toronto with her cat, Kawhi Leonard, “Lenny”.
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Pursuing Continuing Studies at OCAD U
Over the winter of 2024, I began whittling at home with a few basic tools, starting with carving different types of spoons. As summer approached, I wanted to explore woodworking in a workshop setting with more formal guidance. The Woodworking Fundamentals course at OCAD U offered the perfect structure as it covered essential techniques without feeling overwhelming and allowed room for creative exploration.
The course helped me build confidence using a variety of workshop machines and deepened my understanding of how wood behaves. I enjoyed learning about how the grain influences the way it wants to be cut, and how design decisions should adapt based on the type of wood and desired outcome.
Continuing Studies at OCAD U has been an inspiring bridge between technical learning and artistic growth, and I am excited to keep building on this foundation.
Woodworking Fundamentals
Although the standard project was a cutting board or coasters, I really appreciated the instructor’s flexibility and guidance as I worked through creating a tabletop slab. His encouragement to “make the project work” when I showed him my small model using old, weathered bricks as legs gave me the exact push I needed when I began to second-guess myself.
I initially set out to make a table, but by staying open and adaptable throughout the course, I ended up with something even more meaningful. The final piece is a combination of solid wood and repurposed bricks from Tommy Thompson Park that feels both simple and significant. It reflects not only what I learned technically, but also my own creative perspective. It is a project I am genuinely proud to have made.
Current Projects and Future Plans
My current project is hand carving wooden chains—this involves carving an unbroken chain from a single block of wood. The world’s longest hand-carved wooden chain is ¼ mile long. Mine will be six links long and it may take me just as long.
