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Peter Demchuk is a retired biology teacher who spent a lifetime explaining complex life processes to students who were still trying to locate their own homework. After decades of calmly repeating that yes, this will be on the test, Peter retired from the classroom and immediately upgraded his teaching tools from whiteboards to chain saws.
In retirement, Peter embraced wood carving—specifically the kind that involves power tools, flying sawdust, and a truly heroic relationship with sandpaper. His artistic philosophy is simple: remove all wood that does not look like a giraffe, bird, bowl, or “interesting abstract idea,” then sand until both the sculpture and the artist achieve inner peace. Folk art giraffes with questionable proportions, birds frozen in eternal mid-flap, smooth bowls, and boldly abstract carvings all emerge from his workshop, usually after a brief discussion about grain direction and survival instincts.
Peter’s biology background continues to be useful. He understands anatomy (even when his giraffes stretch it), growth patterns, and the importance of evolving one’s design when the chainsaw has other plans. His abstracts are often described as “organic,” “expressive,” or “exactly what happens when you trust the process.”
Behind every successful wood carver is an exceptionally patient and talented partner, and Peter is proudly supported by his wife, Kathy, an outstanding fabric artist. Kathy provides encouragement, artistic insight, and occasional reminders that sawdust does not belong everywhere. Together, they form a mixed-media powerhouse—wood and fabric, noise and color, chain saws and sewing machines—proving that creativity thrives in many forms. Now fully retired, Peter spends his days carving, sanding, and creating, guided by science, enthusiasm, and Kathy’s unwavering support. He remains living proof that while teaching biology may end, making a creative mess is a lifelong pursuit. (Bio thanks to AI) |
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