Sawdust and smiles. That’s what Mark Derkach’s livelihood is all about.
Mark is a St. Albert Farmers Market vendor who runs Woodnt It Be Nice If, a one-man operation where he cobbles together almost anything from wood.
Wood-made card and dice games, puzzles, cutting boards, charcuterie boards, trivets, centrepieces, ornaments and pet portraits are his bread and butter. What sets his wares apart are the varied pop-culture images he burns into the wood.
We’re talking ultra-familiar icons such as Darth Vader, Disney’s Hercules, Beauty and the Beast, Monty Python, Pepé Le Pew, Gollum, Deadpool, Barbie, and Smokey the Bear.
“Mark likes to lean into pop culture. People love them. They can get regular crib boards or cutting boards anywhere. But ours are classy and they bring out nostalgia in people,” said Jasmine Derkach, Mark’s wife. Jasmine is a teacher for children with learning disabilities and helps out during the finishing stages.
On this particular Saturday, she is holding down the fort while Mark showcases his wares at Taste of Edmonton.
Mark, a graduate of NAIT’s carpentry program, originally started his professional career in commercial construction, hammering together wooden frames for concrete.
“The smoke and the heat got to him. He crunched the numbers and decided to do this full time,” Jasmine said.
Prior to pivoting from commercial construction, Mark had always displayed a creative flair. He built a playground structure for friends’ children as well as coffee tables and shelves for the home.
“This all started as hand-drawn wall art. First, he got a laser for lettering and engraving. Then he got a CNC, a computer-controlled machine that makes holes. He programs the depth and design. Then he realized he could burn onto different materials and do really fine detail.”
For games, Mark chooses a hardwood base such as maple, whereas for cutting boards, he prefers bamboo. Once he completes a design or lettering using a wood burning pen, the object is sanded smooth and oiled.
The Derkachs dipped their toes into St. Albert Farmers Market as monthly vendors in 2019 before becoming full-time in 2020. Mark's trajectory has grown from basic hand-drawn wall art to cutting boards to card and dice games that are a large part of the business.
The game collection ranges anywhere from rummy, crib, poker and euchre to horse racing, baseball, sticks, tic-tac-toe and travel chess.
Woodnt It Be Nice If is open to suggestions from the public and will accept customized orders. Customized orders usually take one to two weeks to complete.
The St. Albert Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on St. Anne Street, St. Anne Promenade and St. Thomas Street. Parking is limited. Free Park & Ride transit shuttles are available at St. Albert Centre Transit from 9:40 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Perron Street drop-off. The last shuttle from the market will pick up passengers at Perron Street at 3:20 p.m.
