I live in Saluda, North Carolina, a small town of 650 residents. It is located in western North Carolina, near Asheville. Being surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains is inspirational to a woodturner. My house is nestled in a hollow between two hills. Surrounded by trees, many of them quite old and large, it has a lush feeling to it, so much so that in Autumn when the leaves fall I look forward to the broad sky of the winter landscape. My 300 square foot studio, located in my garage, is packed with woodworking equipment, wood, and pieces in progress. In warm weather I can open the garage door and work beneath the Japanese maple and Cherry trees.
I started working in wood at the age of sixteen when I enrolled in a furniture making class with my father at the University of Cincinnati. Furniture making is a slow process, and the immediacy of turning was very attractive to me. After struggling on my own for several years, I took a class with John Jordan at Arrowmont School for Arts and Crafts. I credit John for giving me a firm foundation of turning techniques. John’s passion and commitment to his work continues to inspire me.
I have to acknowledge that John Jordan’s work had a big influence on the vessels I made over the next few years. The work of turner Clay Foster and furniture maker Kristina Madsen inspired me to consider carving the surface of his work. This led me to study African and Oceanic artifacts in museums and books. I’m drawn to the rhythm of repeated carved patterns on ceremonial and utilitarian objects. Another important influence was Stoney Lamar. For six years my studio was in Stoney Lamar’s shop. The biggest impact he had on me was his approach to the lathe. He considers it a tool for carving as opposed to turning. This perspective inspired me to experiment with other tools off the lathe to the point where the lathe has become just a place to begin. Although I see the lathe as my primary tool, and I still really enjoy the process of turning, most of the time spent working on a piece occurs after the turning. I work from sketches as well as designing directly on the lathe. The latter is much more immediate and satisfying, but I find drawing to be a useful way of recording ideas when I’m unable to be in the studio.
When I started turning I only used green wood because it was easily available. Over the years I have used more and more seasoned wood. This brings its own problems. Dry material is hard to come by in large dimensions. I think this influences the work, as not every piece I want to make could come out of any random piece of wood. So, in a way, working with wood the way I do is a bit like using found objects in sculpture. I like that the material differs from species to species, and tree to tree, which presents new challenges and opportunities. I may have an idea for a piece and have to let it sit in a sketchbook until the right piece of wood appears. In other cases a piece of wood, its size and proportions, may suggest a particular approach to me and send me off in a whole new direction.
I started working in wood at the age of sixteen when I enrolled in a furniture making class with my father at the University of Cincinnati. Furniture making is a slow process, and the immediacy of turning was very attractive to me. After struggling on my own for several years, I took a class with John Jordan at Arrowmont School for Arts and Crafts. I credit John for giving me a firm foundation of turning techniques. John’s passion and commitment to his work continues to inspire me.
I have to acknowledge that John Jordan’s work had a big influence on the vessels I made over the next few years. The work of turner Clay Foster and furniture maker Kristina Madsen inspired me to consider carving the surface of his work. This led me to study African and Oceanic artifacts in museums and books. I’m drawn to the rhythm of repeated carved patterns on ceremonial and utilitarian objects. Another important influence was Stoney Lamar. For six years my studio was in Stoney Lamar’s shop. The biggest impact he had on me was his approach to the lathe. He considers it a tool for carving as opposed to turning. This perspective inspired me to experiment with other tools off the lathe to the point where the lathe has become just a place to begin. Although I see the lathe as my primary tool, and I still really enjoy the process of turning, most of the time spent working on a piece occurs after the turning. I work from sketches as well as designing directly on the lathe. The latter is much more immediate and satisfying, but I find drawing to be a useful way of recording ideas when I’m unable to be in the studio.
When I started turning I only used green wood because it was easily available. Over the years I have used more and more seasoned wood. This brings its own problems. Dry material is hard to come by in large dimensions. I think this influences the work, as not every piece I want to make could come out of any random piece of wood. So, in a way, working with wood the way I do is a bit like using found objects in sculpture. I like that the material differs from species to species, and tree to tree, which presents new challenges and opportunities. I may have an idea for a piece and have to let it sit in a sketchbook until the right piece of wood appears. In other cases a piece of wood, its size and proportions, may suggest a particular approach to me and send me off in a whole new direction.
