David Trotter, Orono, ON

I have always loved working with my hands. When I was a kid, I built anything I could, with whatever materials were at hand. Old boards, grain sacks, rope, old sheets, wire, fishing rods, sticks, old wheels, a can of old bent rusty nails, became building materials for wooden carts, scarecrows, tree houses, toy sailboats.

The first leather item that I remember making, was with some scrap cowhide leather that had come from a neighbour. I made a peace symbol pendant with the leather and a piece of copper. During the summer of 1969 I began working for that neighbour, Daphne Lingwood, one of the pioneers of contemporary leather design, near Caledon East, Ontario. I learned to cut and color and polish leather at a wooden workbench in her design studio. Daphne inspired me to always push the boundaries of creativity and to always take the time to experiment with new ideas. I continued to work for Daphne over the next several years.