We had been in Nova Scotia for two weeks and were traveling "clockwise" around the Cape Breton Highlands. It was fall and the weather had cleared after a hurricane had blown through. We rode out the storm in Cape North at the Four Mile Beach Inn. When the clouds lifted, we were treated to a bright autumn day in Nova Scotia.

We got underway and stopped in Ingonish where we had a nice day hike out on Middle Head. After the hike, we stopped at the store at the Inn and were delighted to find these wonderful Shaker style boxes crafted by Brent Rourke. We decided that we needed to find Brent and see about adding some boxes to the items we were collecting for the gallery.

We discovered that Brent was in New Brunswick and that was not in our trip plans. We were going to the Bay of Fundy region and thought we might change our plans and cross over to find Brent. I didn't want to take a chance on not having some boxes so we bought these from the store at the Inn.

Well we didn't make it on that trip to Brent's Gallery but hear from Brent in his own words,

"As an Artisan I would describe myself as a simple woodworker - I love to make things that are useful and functional."

"However, in reality I’m more than just a simple woodworker; my business and my life for the last eight years has been handcrafting Shaker oval boxes and carriers. So you could say that I’m part artisan, part businessman and 100% Shaker Box enthusiast."

"My fascination with wood began when I was in Junior High School. I couldn't wait for the next shop class to come around. For me there was, and is, no greater pleasure than taking a shaving from a piece of pine with a freshly sharpened hand plane."

"After high school, I continued to advance in both skill and educational training, finishing my training at the college level and becoming a master woodworker. It was at that time that I discovered Shaker boxes and carriers. They are elegant and practical, functional and decorative, traditional and contemporary at the same time."

"Today, I am fortunate to be able to work with some on the finest woods available: cherry, walnut, and birds eye maple. I’ve created literally thousands of pieces of beautiful wood and yet each day I remain fascinated by the fact that each piece was created naturally."