About Lyne

Lyne Des Rosiers was born in Montreal and as a child lived in multiple towns throughout Quebec and France. She remembers meeting people of all types, from European childhood friends to the Gypsies who once lived across the street. Taking inspiration from those gypsies, after her graduation from the Fine Arts program at Joliette cegep, Lyne followed her inspiration to the west coast. As a 20 year old fruit picker, Lyne fell in love with the Rockies and lived in Canmore for 4 years before meeting the friend who introduced her to the Alberni Valley.

The rustic life style seemed charming to young Lyne and when invited to live in a tepee beside Taylor River, her heart fluttered. Lyne lived on that site until a month later, when her and her friend realized that the water level was higher than they had first expected. Lyne rolled up camp and headed off in the direction of Tofino.

When Lyne arrived in Tofino she was inspired to create wind chimes out of red cedar. The first step was to buy the equipment. She went to the Tofino Co-op Hardware to find a hand drill. A man approached Lyne and offered his help to the lost girl in the hardware store. Lyne informed him that she had never worked with wood and explained her creative need to create wooden wind chimes. He looked down at her and asked her why she didn't make a bowl instead. He then invited Lyne to visit his home on Chesterman's Beach.

Lyne had no expectations of this man, but when she walked into this shed and her jaw dropped in awe. This humble man was really humble Henry Nolla, a friend to Tofitians and an expert carver. He welcomed Lyne to join him to learn the trade of wood carving. She jumped at the chance to live a life less ordinary learning from this extraordinary man.

Lyne shared the naturalistic lifestyle of Henry and for the next 1.5 years she assisted him on many projects from wooden bowls to totem poles. In return Henry taught Lyne how to properly make carving tools and helped her acquire wood for her own projects. Lyne's departure from working for Henry as an apprentice happened when Charles McDiarmid purchased one of Lyne's hand carved bowls for The Wickaninnish Inn, creating inspiration for Lyne's career in woodworking. At that point, Lyne changed her lifestyle and for the next 2.5 years she was no longer a working apprentice of Henry but a co-worker, working on her own artwork with assistance from Henry.

Lyne has had a lot of exposure through the carving shed. Lyne has sold private commissions to Texas and throughout the US, France, Germany and most everywhere in Canada. She finds many people who walk into Henry's shed and fall in love with the west coast, from the cedar to the unique carving tool collection. She has created many projects starting with bowls and plates, spoons and plaques, small and large masks, totem poles and finally ornamented many traditionnal steambent cedar boxes. She traveled to Munster, Germany after creating pieces for an exhibition at the Museum of Munster in 2005. Lyne's work now ships all around the world.

Her work can be viewed at The Carving Shed on Chesterman Beach, just south of the exquisite Wickaninnish Inn.