Hello, Kia Ora, Bonjour, Goeie dag!
Welcome to my website! My name is Guy (Gideon) du Toit, and I’m a passionate woodturner on a journey of transforming wood into beautiful art. Born in South Africa, I lived in New Zealand for 10 years and am proud to be a New Zealand citizen. Today France is my new home after I moved back to the land of my Huguenot ancestors in 2024.
My Journey with Woodturning
From the moment I first put a gouge to wood, I knew it was the beginning of a transformative journey. The act of woodturning awakened a new passion within me. I initially joined the Hamilton Woodturners Club in New Zealand in 2017, which led me to discover the esteemed Ecole Escoulen in France.
Honing My Craft at Ecole Escoulen
Fueled by this passion, I applied to Ecole Escoulen in France, what I believe to be the world’s premier full-time woodturning school. In 2019, I had the privelage and honor of graduating from this incredible school, having been mentored by some of the most renowned woodturners, artisans, and wood artists globally.
The experience was profoundly inspiring, especially the teachings and works of Alain Mailland. You can learn more about the school and my teachers by clicking here.
Inspired Mentors and Collaboration:
My journey was further enriched by living near the incredibly talented and inspirational woodturner and sculptor Rolly Munro in Kerikeri, New Zealand, from 2019 to 2024. Rolly and his equally talented wife, Leigh, became my friends and also valuable mentors.
As Rolly’s representative and wholesaler for the Republic of Ireland and Britain, I’m proud to offer his range of sought-after woodturning and hollowing tools, like the Wundercutt10, on my website, via this link: Buy Munro Hollowing Tools Online.
A New Chapter in France:
Today, I’ve settled in a charming village near Carcassonne, France (Aude department). My workshop and boutique & gallery, located within the historic Bastide St. Louis of Carcassonne, welcomes you to explore my creations.
Like all crafts, wood turning is a continuous journey of learning and discovery. I’m always learning more and loving the journey!
My creative vision:
The artistic creation is a miraculous journey itself –
Beginning as a seed from a tree,
That grows to become a tree,
That becomes precious timber,
That is crafted
Through the alchemy of –
- woodturning
- carving
- pyrography
- sandblasting
- airbrushing
- texturing
- staining
- painting and more…
To reveal the hidden artwork inside.
My Logo
My logo represents my path to the craft I love and honors the cycles of life and our connection with nature. It is a journey for the seed that grows to become a tree, then to become an object of wood turned into art.
The central piece of the insignia is the silhouette of an Acacia tree, specifically a Camelthorn tree. For me, the Acacia tree is the tree of Africa. This is the tree of my youth in the bush of South Africa. Without a tree, there can be no woodturning or wood art, no paper, no paintings, no photographs.
The mountains represent all the mountains one climbs in your journey through life, all the obstacles you overcome, and also the peaks you aim for. They also remind me of the majestic mountains I grew to love when I first lived in France.
The road is the journey with no destination but only an aim.
The arrows represent the spinning of the lathe and the cyclic nature of life.
Join Me on This Journey
Thank you for visiting. I invite you to join me on this continuous journey of exploration and creativity.
Guy du Toit