Unique attractions, fanciful designs offered at It“s a Burl
From our weekly issue dated August 04, 2010
The gallery“s attention-grabbing storefront (above) on Redwood Hwy. in Kerby featuring a purple water fountain and tree houses, hints at the wonders within. (Photo by Michelle Binker, I.V. News)
What do purple water, treehouses and unique wooden pieces of art utilizing burls and driftwood have in common“
They all can be found at It“s a Burl, in the town of Kerby on Redwood Hwy.
Besides finished products in the store that use wood in imaginative ways, outside is a veritable forest of burls, stumps and crooked logs, waiting to be turned into works of beauty. Some are odd pieces of driftwood harvested from beaches; others are chunks and hunks harvested from wooded sites in the area.
From what looks like debris come exquisite works.
Clocks, benches, chairs and other furniture, figurines, frames, letter openers and an amazing array of decorative items using different types of wood dazzle the eyes.
It wasn“t that long ago that owner Harvey Shinerock and his wife, Joy, were living in an abandoned sawmill in the Sierra Mountains, and setting up at arts-and-crafts shows in Lake Tahoe and Sacramento.
The mill was sold, prompting the Shinerocks to seek new scenery. They decided to relocate in Oregon.
At first, the couple looked around Medford. They were unimpressed, so the search continued.
They ended up in Illinois Valley, and immediately took a liking to the area and its picturesque surroundings. The former post office building in Kerby was vacant, with an asking price perfectly within their range.
Although making the down payment took up most of the couple“s funds, they went back to the old mill, packed their belongings, and prepared to make a new life in Southwestern Oregon.
The former post office had four upstairs bedrooms, but had been built in the late 1800s. As such, the Shinerocks set about fixing it up as best they could.
By 1987, It“s a Burl was open for business and operated almost entirely by family members.
“We stayed open until we went to bed,“ said Harvey.
Tragedy struck in 1995 when the building was extensively damaged by a Saturday morning fire. There have been other blazes at the business, but none as severe as the one in “95.
Fortunately after that one, the Shinerocks already had acquired the property on Redwood Hwy., where the business now sits, and began rebuilding in that location.
Once that was finished, Harvey said, they shifted their focus to wood and raw materials, with an emphasis on quality. A wide range of handmade items now are available.
After the rebuilding they also began thinking of ways to capitalize on the highway frontage.
Harvey built fences made of driftwood, and his son, Danny, constructed the three treehouses that now serve as one of It“s a Burl“s biggest attractions.
A large, tall fountain also was erected along the highway. Harvey said that he experimented with the use of different colors of dye in the water. Yellow and red each resembled certain bodily fluids, which ultimately excluded them.
Purple won, and has flowed from the fountain since. Now, Harvey said, some 50 to 100 people visit daily during summers.
“Enough people stop, so this place is just right for us,“ he observed.
It“s a Burl has developed quite a steady stream of repeat customers from throughout the United States. Many of its unique products go to high-end purchasers in the Seattle, Portland and San Francisco areas, Harvey said, which keeps the business steady even during recessions.
The store also has become a legacy of sorts for Harvey and his family. These days, he has a daughter, son and grandson working on-site making wood products. And after 23 years in the business, Harvey, 77, is considering stepping back to focus more on painting and sculpting.
Although he“s reluctant to use the word “retirement,“ Harvey said that it may be time to pursue his favorite hobbies. Painting for approximately 40 years, many of his works hang on the walls of his home.
In the meantime, Harvey and Joy often can be found watching tourists climb the treehouses and enjoying the wonderland that they built by hand so many years ago. Cars zoom along the highway in the background, with more than the occasional head turning to view the unique scenery and attractions only found at It“s a Burl.
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