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A partial list of demonstrators, demonstrations, panel discussions, and presentations
Nick Agar | Eli Avisera | Jeffrey Bernstein | Trent Bosch | Warren Carpenter | Nick Cook | Don Derry | Dennis DeVendra | David Ellsworth | Harvey Fein | J Paul Fennell |
Leopold A. Frilot, Jr. | Mark Gardner | Margaret Garrard | Ron Gerton | Cynthia and Michael Gibson | Tony George | Keith Gotschall | Stephen Hogbin | Keith Holt | Adam Hood | Beth Ireland | Phil Irons | Su Jinling | John Jordan | Mike Kehs | Ed Kelle | Jerry Kermode | Keith Larrett | Albert LeCoff | Art Liestman | Glenn Lucas | Robert Lyon | John Mascoll | Binh Pho | Mike Mahoney | David Marks | Steven Marlow | Terry Martin |
Andre Martel | John Mascoll | James McClure | Michael Mode | Tania Radda | Thomas Riley | Robert Rosand | Avelino Samuel | Mark Sfirri | Patrick Sikes | Willie Simmons | Steve Sinner | Andrea Sullivan | Mark Supik | Keith Tompkins | Neil Turner | Kevin Wallace | Hans Weissflog | Andi Wolfe | Alan and Lauren Zenreich
Eli Avisera, Israel
Presenting Projects for Youths
Eli will demonstrate basic and classic techniques in this teaching-to-turn session ... candlesticks with a between-center technique, a box with end grain, and a bowl using a faceplate. He will explain the 10 most important woodturning cuts. Youth Program attendees only Write-up Eli, born in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1960, grew up in Jerusalem and attended the School of Wood Art from 1973 to 1977. After graduation, Eli became a professional woodworker, cabinet maker, and woodturner.
Panelist: Making your work distinctive, ideas and techniques
About Eli
With more than 30 years of experience, Eli Avisera is an international woodturning demonstrator and teacher, demonstrating his unique woodworking and woodturning techniques worldwide. His creations are in many exhibitions and private collections both in Israel and around the world.
In 1988, Eli established the Wood Craft Center in Jerusalem (avisera.co.il) where he teaches workshops for furniture building, woodturning, and wood carving at all skill levels.
In May 2009, Eli’s UK-based woodturning school opened at the KTMP Hunters Lodge Studio in Lincolnshire. The school is one of the few to offer dedicated access and facilities for disabled/elderly woodturners.
back to topPanels:
Surviving in the Market Place
Instant Gallery CritiqueAbout Jeffrey
Like others who love to collect art, the collecting bug bit my wife Judy Chernoff and me long before we knew what it was or where it would take us. In addition to living with works that are incredibly creative, visually beautiful, and of exceptional craftsmanship, we have had the pleasure and honor of knowing many of the artists whose work is in our collection and hearing some of their stories and inspirations.
I have been attending AAW symposiums for the last decade and continue to be amazed at the creativity and quality of work being produced each year. I have learned much from walking around the Instant Galleries with makers and collectors. I am looking forward to this year’s symposium in Tampa and am honored to serve on the panel for the Instant Gallery Critique.
Making a Band Saw Inlay
Learn how to design and put together an inlaid platter. A simple technique, this method is basically segmented turning but without the geometrical precision. A band saw is used to cut the blank according to a prepared design. Certain parts of the pattern are discarded, to be replaced with a contrasting wood. Once cut, the component pieces of the design fit together like a child’s puzzle. Pigmented epoxy becomes the “grout” between the pattern pieces and adds visual impact to your design. The blank is prepared while still in board form so the pattern emerges on both sides during turning. Marilyn will discuss designing the pattern, cutting and assembling the components, and all aspects of using resin as a decorative element. Many slides showing examples of this technique will give you new ideas.
Simple Inlay
Open new doors creatively with this easy method. The simple inlay is created by turning a shallow recess into the blank and filling it with either a contrasting wood or any interesting material that can be turned. Epoxy resin makes this process easy. Marilyn will discuss all aspects of using epoxy, materials to put into the inlay, and tips about creating a more intriguing visual impact. This method has several interesting variations and many design possibilities. Marilyn will cover three innovative methods using this basic premise.About Marilyn
Marilyn is a self-taught turner. Her unusual approach to problem-solving led to much experimentation with epoxy resin, a material she had become familiar with while building a boat with her husband. During the past 25 years, she has developed her simple techniques with resin to create a unique look. Her work has garnered many awards and often has been cited for its originality. Marilyn has demonstrated and taught her methods throughout Canada, the US, Australia, France, and England. She has participated in many international exhibitions and has been featured in several books and magazines. Her work is included in many private and public collections in the US, Canada, Great Britain, and Japan.
What’s in the Crotch of a Tree?
Warren will show many uniquely shaped bowls that can be found in the crotch of a tree and will include discussions and demonstrations starting with getting the blanks out of the tree crotch and ready for the lathe. The focus will be on the use of the bowl gouge to safely turn several very unusually shaped bowls. Drying is an important topic of discussion for this session.About Warren
Warren is a full-time woodturner from Seneca SC, where he is a member of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, with works in many galleries and collections. Warren teaches at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and John C. Campbell Folk School. He teaches and demonstrates with tremendous energy, a unique sense of humor, and a passion for turning wood.“Woodworking has always been a part of my life, but what else would you expect from a Carpenter?" He has been a woodturner since 1999.
PANEL: Turning With Challenges
About Dennis
At the age of 21, Dennis was diagnosed with a hereditary eye disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). The disease has left Dennis with small crescent shape peripheral vision, not enough for much functional use.Dennis was invited in 2012 by the AAW to participate in the development of the Accessible Lathe program. He has worked closely with Linda Ferber, the AAW program director, to assemble instructions that promote woodturning for the visually-impaired.
Since graduating from The Ohio State University, Dennis has held several Information Technology related positions, including technical support at the IBM National Support Center for Persons with Disabilities (NSCPD). Dennis currently works at a large utility company and manages a staff of IT professionals. Dennis also is a yoga instructor.
Dennis always has had an interest in woodworking. In 2006, he started woodturning. After a slow start, Dennis caught the woodturning bug and has had lessons with several national and international woodturning professionals. He was profiled in the Woodturning magazine (November 2008), and is the author of several articles in the AAW journal on overcoming challenges.
How Culture and Surroundings Influence Work
Inspiration, influencing work, is everywhere. I usually have a story or idea, connected to something in my life, nudging my pieces into the world, and I have become increasingly interested in what sparks the creations of others. This is a slideshow that features known and not-as-well known people’s pieces and, in their own words, what compelled them to conceive their works.About Sharon
The more I work with wood, the more I appreciate its nature: warm and tactile to the touch, beautiful grain, and yielding nature. At times, wood offers far less than I need. Constraints, though, can bring new insights.
Inspiration surrounds me and flows from inside. Like knotwork, the thoughts are interwoven and connected, starting deep within a turned form, flowing over the rim, circling back upon themselves, joining with other thoughts. As I work the wood, there is much to ponder. The wood offers, I receive, and we continue the weaving.
Life’s circumstances mostly have kept me from making for a few years, but I filled much of that time with reflection. Insights abound, and as I launch my re-entry into an active period of making, I will do so riding the edge, following my visions, and connecting with what evolves.
Panels:
Surviving in the Market Place
How to value your work
Making your Work Distinctive: Ideas and Techniques
Pop Your Demo- How to Succeed as a Demonstrator
Woodturning: Past, Present & FutureAbout David
The exciting thing about breaking into new territory is when the idea appears without warning. Having studied the progression of my own vessel designs over the past forty years, I thought one day, “What is the most ingenious vessel design of our times?” My answer was the Boy Scout telescopic aluminum drinking cup. I find in making these forms that they only become successful when the process is both fluid and void of any preconception. As such, I have no idea when I begin how tall they will become or what gestures they will achieve. It is quite refreshing.
Panel: Growing Through Collaboration
About Harvey
If asked, those who know would say that I’m in love with the mechanics of things. I need to know how things work. While in college, I earned spending money as a mechanist and used to imagine that when I retired I’d work in a machine shop again for fun.
But a much better future announced itself to me when, in 1997, a friend gave me a wooden bowl he had made and then showed me how he had made it. Holding the gouge in my hand for the first time, I knew that this was for me. I bought my first lathe that very afternoon.
As I moved away from imitating the many generous teachers and critics I encountered both in person, on the page, and on video, I saw that my creativity and my skills as a machinist and a maker (I have been manufacturing window treatments for 45 years) were showing up in my turnings. What started out as a desire to find a way to insert pieces of a contrasting wood in the rim of an open-form bowl eventually evolved into the fixture that enables me to make the work that I do now.
The jig components grow and change as I have new ideas I want to try. New designs come to me as fully completed objects from which I work backward in my head, figuring out the steps required to make them. Then I work them forward as I put them down on paper before going to the lathe.
The mechanical process, which is so familiar to me, has been incomparably enriched and deepened by the addition of the aesthetic concerns involved in making a successful piece in wood. It pleases me a lot to think that, in looking at my work you might experience some of the joy I have in making it.
Embellish Your Creations with Hand-Turned Metals
Few turners attempt to hand-turn solid metals on a wood lathe, usually because of the intimidation factor or because they didn’t think it was possible. Leo will show that hand-turning metals can be a safe and successful adventure and will introduce a new awareness of this minimally explored media. Topics include safety, personal protective equipment, metals suitable for turning, effective tool presentation and usage, and how metals can be used as design elements.
Pen Turning Basics 101
Pen turning is relatively easy to learn, and anyone usually can obtain success on their first few attempts. With the essential tools and understanding of how to properly use them, you can quickly be on your way to creating functional writing instruments. Leo will guide you through all the basic steps of pen turning – from blank preparation to the completed pen assembly – and demonstrate techniques he uses with both wood and acrylics. You may pick up a tip or two, find a new technique, or share your thoughts and ideas through an interactive discussion.About Leo
I grew up in a rural Creole community (Frilot Cove) near Opelousas LA. It is the type of community where the local craftsmen (mechanics, welders, plumbers, farmers, carpenters, etc.) in the 5-square-mile area worked together to accomplish various tasks.
I have been turning for more than 17 years, essentially self-taught, and I still get excited when I sling wood curls half-way across the shop. I am intrigued every time I cut into a block of wood, especially those with lots of figure. I have learned that the art lies in the natural grain patterns that are unique to each species, just as fingerprints are to people. I truly think of this craft as encouraging the wood to express itself and think of myself as a wood therapist. I love to make functional pieces that stimulate the senses and are a pleasure to use.
Currently, I am exploring hollow forms, boxes, and intricate finial designs. I now turn antler, metals (aluminum, brass, bronze, steel), and acrylics. My desire is to continue to create functional pieces using my combined skills of design, turning, joinery, and finishing.
Surface Embellishment
Mark will demonstrate the various techniques and methods he uses for embellishing his work, starting with laying out geometric patterns on his turned vessels. Some of the techniques will include carving with hand and power tools, engraving, branding with a homemade woodburner, and even some textures done on the lathe. He will show how he uses milk paints and dyes to enhance the carved patterns and how he sharpens his carving tools using a simple homemade MDF strop.
Hollow Forms the Easy Way - Cut Them in Half
Tired of hollowing your vessels through a tiny hole? If so, this demo is for you. Essentially, Mark will be making a lidded container, but he will glue the lid on. Time will be spent demonstrating various ways to then hide the seam in your vessel. And if that isn’t enough, this vessel will have handles, too.About Mark
As long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed working with my hands. As a teenager, I worked in clay and mixed media. Woodworking was my father’s hobby, and when I was 16 I was enrolled in a Saturday woodworking class with him at the Ohio College of Applied Science. The class focused on the use of hand tools rather than machines in the building process. I found the use of chisels and planes (when they were sharp) calming and enjoyable. I remained in the class, slowly building Shaker-inspired furniture until I gradated from college. I started turning on my father’s lathe one day when I wanted a short 3-legged stool for my room. I was hooked.
I turn primarily green wood because of its availability and its ease of use compared to dry wood. Lately my work only begins on the lathe. Now much of the time that goes into a piece is spent carving intricate surface patterns. Many things besides the material influence my work, including the simple lines of Shaker furniture, the carved and painted surfaces of African shields, and the beautifully detailed ceremonial war clubs of the Oceanic cultures.
I’ve been an instructor at Arrowmont, J.C. Campbell Folk School, Penland School of Crafts, Anderson Ranch, and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. I was a demonstrator at the AAW’s Richmond symposium in 2008 and have led workshops and given demonstrations for woodturning chapters around the USA and in Canada. My work can be found in many public collections, including the Museum of Art and Design in New York and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven.
Involuted Christmas Tree Ornament
Think of a shape, put it down on paper, make a template of the inside shape, and you are ready to do involuted turning. Four pieces of timber with identical measurements are glued together with newspaper joints. The inside shape can be created with the use of a template. Split the newspaper joints open and turn inside out (involuted). Permanently glue them together in this position, then turn the outside shape, re the drawing. Margaret will cover design and how the Christmas tree shape is the foundation of many other items. She will describe capturing items within the involuted form. The use of tools and body movement will be discussed in the developing smoothness and elegance of shape.About Margaret
I have always enjoyed making things, designing and sewing clothes for myself and the children, embroidery, knitting, cake decorating, basketwork, pottery, etc., so woodturning was no great surprise for my husband.
I started woodturning as a hobby in 1995 after visiting a friend with a lathe. After a couple of hours, I was hooked. I joined a woodturning club and immediately got engrossed. I did well in the competitions, mainly for my creativity and the skill built up as I explored different techniques. In 2000, I decided to leave my office work to allow me more time to become a woodturner. I work for furniture makers, joiners, and antique dealers. I give demonstrations and do gallery work.
In 2005, I spent three days with Binh Pho after he had demonstrated at the Association of Woodturners of Great Briton Seminar. This inspired me to incorporate his techniques into my work.
I received a bursary of £1,000 in 2007 from The Worshipful Company of Turners, and I went to visit Alain Mailland in France, where I gained new techniques and confidence. I was accepted onto the Register of Professional Turners.
I get great pleasure from all aspects of woodturning, from doing small knobs to creating a delicate gallery pieces. During the last several years, I have progressed to turning more artistic work. The inspiration for this work comes from things around me, the natural world, the Yorkshire Dales, and architectural shapes. I also enjoy passing on the skills I have so others may gain enjoyment.
Beneath the bark of every piece of timber there is beauty. I may turn the same shape twice, but each piece is individual because of the grain, texture, and coloring. Each piece is unique in itself.
PANEL: Turning With Challenges
About Tony
Growing up on a cash crop farm in upstate New York, I had winters free to do woodworking. At the age of 15, my father bought a lathe at an auction for $50. I would use pieces of split firewood to make rolling pins, mallets, and other spindle work.
At the age of 44, I had a construction accident where I fell and broke my back. During the panel discussion, “Turning with Challenges,” I will briefly discuss my individual disability and why and how I started woodturning, followed by some of the specific challenges encountered in attempting to turn and how I dealt with them. Next, I’ll discuss methods that were unsuccessful when attempting to overcome limitations, and I will note my woodturning goals. We welcome questions from the audience focusing on the panel members’ experiences, successes, failures, goals, and aspirations.
Although I have given a few private lessons to beginner woodturners, in the future I hope to do much more teaching. I want to give hope and skill to all who want to learn from me.
Safety Doesn’t Have to be Learned the Hard Way
Turning wood is great fun, but getting hurt is not. We will explore ways to turn even risky woods safely. Our main focus will be how to put wood on the lathe and make sure it stays in one piece and where it belongs. How to use a router on your lathe to shape wood at very slow speed is an option that will be demonstrated. We will talk about some recent serious accidents and how they might have been avoided. Open discussion is welcome.About Ron
Ron is a retired mechanical engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear field. He has been making unique gold and silver jewelry in his spare time for more than 25 years and teaches jewelry casting at the local community college. The spectrum of designs is unlimited, but his favorite is the graceful and sensuous designs known as Art Noveau.
The past several years has brought many opportunities to showcase his art. He has had pieces accepted into numerous juried art shows and has won Best of Show, Best Three Dimensional and Award of Merit honors. He was the featured artist for a month-long show at several galleries in the Pacific Northwest. Wood turning and bronze casting have allowed him to work on pieces of much larger scale than jewelry. To him it is still jewelry but jewelry for the home or office. His pieces can be found in eleven fine art museums around the country and many wonderful private collections.
Creating a Beautiful Teapot
In this 2-part demonstration, Michael will discuss how he constructs his teapots through turning and carving. In the second half, Cynthia will discuss implementing designs on a teapot and will demonstrate pyrography.
Turning and Embellishing an Asian-Style Footed Bowl
This session will include 2 demonstrations. Mike will turn an Asian-style footed bowl and discuss how he designs his bowls with Cynthia’s embellishments in mind. Cynthia will demonstrate her pyroengraving techniques and discuss embellishing bowls.About Michael
Michael’s fascination with wood began at an early age. Growing up in England, Mike worked on wooden sailing yachts along the banks of the River Crouch. He moved to the US in the early 1980s and began a career as a finish carpenter.
Working with wood all of his life, Mike was always interested in woodturning and finally decided to give it a try. What began as a hobby blossomed into a passion. Cynthia accompanied Michael to many woodturning symposiums and meetings, and her desire to embellish his turnings grew.
About Cynthia
Cynthia’s “ah-ha” moment came when she discovered pyrography on the Norwegian Woodturning Cruise in 2008. Mike and Cynthia collaborate on a good deal of work these days, although Michael still produces pieces on his own. Most of the couple’s focus goes into their collaborative teapots.
Michael and Cynthia feel fortunate to share this love of woodworking and believe that their artistic collaborations are a natural extension of their marriage. The Gibsons live and work from their home studios in Hoschton, Georgia.
Milk Stool
Keith will explain spindle replication while making a traditional milking stool. Making the first leg is easy, but how to get the others to match? This demo will review simple techniques to help you to replicate your designs and even give some pointers on how to design with this aim in mind.
Off-Center Platter
Keith will review the techniques used in making platters and plates but with an added twist – the rim will be off-center from the rest of the platter. No special chucks or tools are needed. Some input from the audience is needed for the design process. Come see an exciting project get spun off-center.
Tortilla Holder
Keith will show the basic steps in making a lidded tortilla holder and how he goes about decorating the project. This demo will aid understanding the use of the scroll chuck in both expansion and contraction modes for holding the work. Beads, fillets, and coves will be made to decorate and define the design. Then paint and other methods will be used to decorate the lid and sides of the tortilla holder. This project also would be great for pancakes. Keeping them hot keeps them tasty!
Winged Bowl
This demo has it all ... explanation of spindle techniques and bowl turning. Keith will start off by turning between centers and then will manipulate the turning axis to re-turn the project as a small bowl. This is a great demo if you’re confused by grain direction and how that would dictate tool use. If you want to create more sculptural work, this demo is for you.About Keith
Keith has been involved in woodworking since a very early age, making mirror frames with a carved moon face design as early as 9th grade. Since then, he has worked as a cabinetmaker, furniture designer and maker, sculptor of stone and wood, international male model, carpenter, and most recently woodturner. Keith has shown in numerous art shows with his furniture, sculpture, and turnings and has won various awards.
Keith took classes from notable masters early in his turning career and remembers that excitement of exploration. In his classes and demonstrations, Keith brings that same level of enthusiasm for learning and joy of sharing to his students.
With his background in fine art and a love of the truly utilitarian, Keith’s work can be noted for its clean lines, smooth curves, and tight detail. Sometimes whimsical, often classical, Keith enjoys working in a broad oeuvre and is hard to pigeonhole.
Panel:
Turners Without Borders: Taking Turning to the World
About Billy
Several months ago, I was asked by a friend if I would consider going to Haiti and teach woodturning at an art center in the community of Cange. I willingly agreed to do that, and I am truly delighted to have the opportunity to discuss that experience at this symposium.
Magic of the Cross Section
Most objects have a profile on the outside, space on the inside, with a surface quality and cross section. In particular, the cross section has magic seldom investigated. This demonstration will present the idea of the cross section, how to reveal it, and cut up a turned form accurately and safely.
About Stephen
Stephen, while remaining embedded in his own region of Owen Sound, is recognized internationally by collectors, educators, and professional organizations for his influence in studio woodturning and furniture making. In the early 1970s, he developed a rich vocabulary of alternate forms to the 1000-year-old technique of lathe work. These innovative forms became a keystone to the development of the contemporary domain. Primarily a studio artist with an inclusive and multidiscipline approach, he also is an occasional curator and author. Stephen’s latest book is Hogbin on Woodturning: Masterful Projects Uniting Purpose, Form & Technique.
Turning Outside the Box
This demonstration combines two great shop tools – the lathe and the band saw. Beth will show participants how to safely use a band saw to create sculptural box forms that can be turned on the lathe. The same technique can be used to create blanks for platters to produce a decorative inlay look. Topics covered will be band saw box construction, lathe mounting strategy, offset turning, tool use, and surface embellishment.
Turning with Your Mind
Did you ever wonder where artists get their ideas? They have learned a formal thought process of problem solving over time that seems elusive to those not in the arts. As craft people and artists, we need to come up with original ideas that can reflect our technical skills and personal voice in interesting ways. This interactive presentation breaks down the artist’s thought process into a simple set of steps you can follow each time you start a new projectPanelist: Artist Showcase Slideshow
About Beth
Beth earned her undergraduate degree in Art Education from the State University College at Buffalo NY and her MFA in sculpture from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has been running Beth Ireland Woodworking since 1983. Her business provides woodworking with a specialization in architectural and artistic woodturning.
She has been teaching woodworking and woodturning for 20 years. Her venues for teaching are the Boston Architectural Center, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Anderson Ranch, Arrowmont, and Peters Valley Craft Center.
Ireland has been working on an ongoing collaborative art project, “Turning Around America,” since 2010. In phase 1 of the project, “Mobile Studio,” she traveled 30,000 miles and taught 3,000 people how to create wooden objects from her mobile work-live space. Beth is passionate about creating spaces, sculptural objects, and teaching the meaning of the object and hand-making in our modern culture.
Creating Hollow Forms
Phil will show his techniques for holding, shaping and hollowing, tool and wood selection, how to get the best out of his “go-to tool,” a 5/8” bowl gouge, and the use and importance of a shear scraper to achieve the perfect shape and uniform surface. Promises to be packed with good information.
Surface Decoration and Coloring
Phil will use contemporary-colored stains to emphasize the figure in rippled-quilted, burred, and crotch white woods. Also highlighted will be the addition of simple carved decoration to show the contrast between the natural color of the timber and the color enhanced areas. He also will discuss the importance and use of finishes.
Panels:
Turners Without Borders - Taking Turning to the World
Pop Your Demo - How to Succeed as a DemonstratorAbout John
This will be John’s 27th AAW International Symposium, and last year he was named the 2012 Honorary Lifetime Member. His work is in the permanent collections of more than 25 major museums, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Boston Museum of Art, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, along with many corporate and personal collections. In addition to being a frequent writer, John has taught, lectured, and demonstrated in most states and eight countries, and he has just returned from a 5-week teaching session for an art school in Bogota, Colombia.
Asymmetrical Inside-Out Turning
Michael will demonstrate the construction and use of a wooden chuck with a square recess used to hold the four pieces of inside-out turning stock and the process of laying out and turning a figure within these pieces. This technique usually requires fabricating specially shaped scrapers, also to be discussed. Michael also will show the method of matching up a second turning to complement and finish the first turning. Additional topics will include the glue-up process and turning the outside of the finished glue-up.
Carving for Turners
Using the right shape of turning to best show off the subject of your carving is the first place to start. Making templates to aid in drawing your patterns is an important aspect of Michael’s method. He will show how to lay out your pattern with an eye for detail and design. He also will review the correct process of executing the carving, i.e., where to start and what to consider as you progress in your carving.
Surface Embellishments
There are different ways to treat the surface of a turned object. After a piece is turned, you can decorate it with textures, colors, and carving, and Michael will review many of them in this session. This can be accomplished with a wide variety of tools, including burning pens, carving tools (power and hand), vibrating tools, applying foreign material, and adding color.About Michael
The first thing you’ll notice upon meeting Michael is his personable approach. A former school superintendent once told Mike that he should be a teacher because of his ability to meet people on their own level. He also said “loud abrupt noises don’t rattle you.” This was the encouragement Michael needed to start down the path of instructing and demonstrating.
He has been on that trail since the late 1990s, teaching and demonstrating throughout the United States.
Michael tends to lean toward all things natural in his work. “I feel connected to life and fulfilled when I’m expressing myself through nature.”
His early years in his dad’s shop spurred an interest in woodworking that lasts to this day. “The smell of cutting walnut still takes me back to that wonderful time.”
Michael worked as a stone mason for many years. This experience taught him to look for balance in the total piece and gave him a work ethic to get the job done. He left his masonry job of 28 years to pursue a dream of working wood full-time. He builds custom furniture and artistic woodturnings and carvings. Teaching wood carving and woodturning in his studio is a very satisfying part of his business.
Presentation:
The Image - Taking Your Digital Photography to the Next Level
Our works often are judged by the images we produce. Initial impressions count for a lot in today’s rapid society. If you’ve been disappointed by the results coming from your camera, understand why this is the case and what you can do to present your artwork with the same high quality standards that you set during the creative process. Create quality images without spending big bucks. Learn how to make the one image that captures the essence of your piece. Be sure to bring all your photography questions!About Ed
Ed graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1991 with degrees in Management and Design. From there he ventured into the world of fine art, focusing on painting for a few years, during which he participated in many local shows. He received two grants from the New York State Foundation for the Arts; during that period, he began sculpting in stone, an experience that has taken his art into the third dimension.
In mid-1990s, he entered the field of Graphic Design, specializing in digital retouching and package design. A decade later, feeling detached from the creative process of working with his hands, he discovered woodturning and the passion that had been missing.“Nothing compares to the experience of taking a piece of wood and watching a shape develop while revealing the secrets that nature has hidden in its grain. Every piece is a new adventure and an opportunity to produce a one-of-a-kind object that is missing from everyday life.
My love of photography has driven me to create mood for my works and is the final step of the process. It is my desire to help promote the final image as a work of art in itself.”
Panels:
Surviving in the Marketplace
How to Pop Your Demo
Architectural Turning
About Deborah
Deborah draws on her 40+ years managing their business, her studies in counseling, and her drama background to find creativity in the business process. She encourages people to tap their own creativity in dealing with the important job of marketing and believes in turning fear into curiosity. Her education includes business, psychology, and drama at the University of California, Irvine, and at Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz. She holds a certificate in Psycho-Social Development from Windward Community College in Hawai’i, which included a year-long practicum at the Women’s Financial Resource Center in Honolulu. In Hawai’i, Deborah was president of the nonprofit Alliance for Drama Education and taught drama to 6th-graders for six years. When not running their business and household, Deborah practices yoga and dances hula.
About Jerry
Jerry is a full-time turner, working out of his studio in Sebastopol CA. He has been an AAW member for more years than he cares to remember, having started the first Hawai’i chapter. His woodturning started during years as a remodeling contractor, working on Victorian homes in Santa Cruz CA. Later, living in Hawai’i, he discovered bowl turning, becoming a full-time turner in 1993. He enjoys the juxtaposition of bowl turning for its relative freedom and architectural turning for its attention to detail.
Demonstrating and teaching his love of turning has become a highlight of Jerry’s profession. His very first public demonstration was in 1989 at the Honolulu Academy of Arts’ celebration of the publication of The Hawaiian Calabash by R. Jenkins. He appearances have included AAW internationalational symposiums, WoodFair in Eureka CA, Arrowmont School in Tennessee, Woodworking West national symposium in Utah, UC Santa Cruz, Laney College in Oakland, Esalen Institute in Big Sur CA, and various high school woods programs nationwide.
Lost Wood Process
The lost wood process involves the turning of a spindle blank made up of three laminated layers. After turning, the middle layer is discarded and the two outer layers are rejoined, yielding a non-round turned object. In this demonstration, Art will turn a lost wood box.
Therming
Therming (“barrel turning”) is a multi-axis technique that can be used to produce multi-sided turned objects. This technique traditionally was used for producing objects such as table legs, but it can be used to produce interestingly shaped hollow vessels or sculptural forms. In this demonstration, Art will use this process to produce a sculptural form. He will show and describe several therming “jigs.”Panel:
Digital presentations - preparation & deliveryAbout Art
I spend my days as a professor in Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. When I leave the halls of the academe, I generally head straight for my home studio in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, where I devise new ways to torment wood.
My involvement in woodturning began when I was making experimental musical instruments. It’s the same old familiar story - I needed turned parts for an automated programmable xylophone, so I bought a lathe. After that little adventure, I was hooked, and the lathe became my primary tool for shaping wood. I was suddenly a woodturner. After a few years of making functional items, I turned to the artistic side of woodturning.
My work generally begins on the lathe and often is enhanced with pyrography, coloring, and carving. Much of my work uses turning techniques that produce shapes that do not appear to be turned.
Panel:
Architectural Turning
About Albert
Albert is the co-founder and Executive Director of The Center for Art in Wood, formerly the Wood Turning Center, located in Old City Philadelphia. He studied at Antioch University and received a BA in Arts & Crafts in 1975. From 1973-1975, he undertook a woodturning apprenticeship with Manny Erez.
For more than 35 years, Albert has organized more than 20 symposiums, 50 exhibitions, and 14 publications to promote wood and lathe-turned art.
He has given dozens of lectures and participated in panel discussions related to lathe turning and wood art, including events at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1995; two slide lectures at “Rencontres Européennes de la Tournerie,” a European turning conference held in France; in 1995 at The American Craft Museum in New York, where he moderated a panel discussion entitled “Conversations on Collecting: Wood Turning”; and a panel discussion (moderator) with the 5 curators of Cabinets of Curiosities at the Furniture Society’s 7th Annual Conference in Philadelphia.
In 2003, Albert became an American Craft Council Honorary Fellow and received the Collectors of Wood Art Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, he received the American Association of Woodturners Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bowl and Spingle Gouge - Sharpening & Shavings
The correct sharpening of these tools is one of the greatest challenges for many woodturners. This demonstration will shine a light on getting the ultimate edge using both jigs and freehand sharpening. Glenn will discuss various cutting-edge profiles and setting up a sharpening system to suit the needs of a woodturner. Once the tools are sharp, sit back and watch the shavings fly.Plates and Platters
Glenn will make one of each, showing how to get flowing curves using only the bowl gouge. He will review different chucking methods, rim designs, and ways of getting the best surface finish from the tools and timber selection.Salad Bowl
This demonstration looks at each task involved in making a bowl, from choice of tools, selection of materials, to applying the final finish. This is a fast-paced demo with lots of useful information about making the perfect bowl. Glenn will share 23 years of experience in bowl production using his own unique approach.Wet-Turned Thin-Wall Bowl
Turning thin-wall bowls is great for perfecting tool techniques. In this demonstration, Glenn will make several thin bowls, getting thinner each time. Careful selection of tools is important for this project, utilizing a very sharp edge. Glenn will review grain orientation to determine how the bowl will move while drying.About Glenn:
“Woodturning to me is much more than the finished product ... I am passionate about the process.”
Glenn’s efficient methods are clearly demonstrated and simply explained at his demonstrations, where, with speed and accuracy, he produces functional and artistic bowls and platters. This skill has been finely-tuned at the lathe since establishing his bowl production business in 1995.
His understanding of tools and equipment is matched by award-winning craftsmanship, and Glenn is often invited to make work for exhibitions showing the best of Irish craft.
Combining production and teaching from his Woodturning Study Center in southeast Ireland, Glenn also has recorded several DVDs. These generously describe his unique and highly efficient approach to mastering woodturning.
Big Green-turned Calabash Bowl
Mike will show how he makes a finished baseless bowl that will be ready to use in the kitchen the same day you turn it. The session will discuss the choice of grain orientation in making a bowl that is pleasant to the eye after it warps. He will explain how he keeps it from cracking and how he makes a simple chuck to remove the tenon of the bowl to make it baseless.
Bowl Coring with the Kelton Center Saver
Mike will show the fundamentals of how the tool works and then attempt to make a complicated nested set of bowls using the entire range of blades.
Hollow Forms with Threaded Lids
Mike will make a finished burial urn with a threaded lid and show you how he dries the wood, the tools he hollows with, and how to thread chase the lid.
Making Heirlooms
The group will have a discussion about how we create value in our work. What makes a piece of craft last for generations? Will your work be cherished or discarded? During the discussion, Mike will attempt to make an heirloom platter.About Mike
Mike has been a professional woodturner since 1992, specializing in utilitarian items that he wholesales to American Crafts galleries across the U.S. Mike acquires all his material from local urban sources (tree trimmers and city landfills). He has diversified by creating instructional DVDs and a line of woodworking finishes with a walnut oil base. He is the director of the Utah Woodturning Symposium."I am passionate about my craft and the American Craft movement and am dedicated to producing quality craft and educating the public about woodturning. I produce all my work on the lathe without any embellishments after the fact, creating a very traditional feel with contemporary ideas. I want my work to be both attractive and useful. For my work to be admired is one thing, but for my work to be used fulfills my purpose as a craftsman."
Creating Unique Patinas
In this exciting demonstration, watch carefully as David introduces you to the fascinating world of patination. He will discuss four mild acids that he has successfully used during the past 20 years to create a wide variety of colors and patterns on several different types of metal leaf. These chemicals can work very quickly, and you will be able to watch this process transform a gilded surface. Silver leaf will turn into a magnificent gold/red and then blue color, while copper leaf can be treated to create some rich reds and haunting purples and blacks.
Gilding Vessels
David will demonstrate the process he goes through to apply various types of metal leaf to his award-winning ,turned, hollow vessels. He will discuss the surface preparation and show examples of projects in various stages. Then he will show how he applies gilder’s size to the surface and will demonstrate techniques for applying genuine silver leaf to the vessel. Learn how to apply copper leaf and silver leaf to vessels to create some very dramatic patterns and colors.
About David
David is recognized internationally as a master craftsman of fine furniture, turner, sculptor, and host of the television show “Woodworks” on DIY and on the How-To Channel in Australia.
David began experimenting in the late 1980s with gilding metals and creating patinas, and developed his own hybrid patina finish that combines painting, gilding (metal leafing), chemical patinas, and lacquering techniques. This process has become the trademark of his wall sculptures and turnings. He has won prestigious awards for his woodworking and woodturning, including two NICHE Awards in 2001. Examples of his work appear in numerous publications.He teaches classes in his workshop- studio in addition to working on his own projects. He has traveled and taught extensively throughout the United States. "My work expresses a sense of time and mystery, and my inspiration is derived from a fusion of styles including ancient Egyptian, African, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Asian. Essential to all my designs is the attention to fine details.”
Spherical Box and Beyond
James will demonstrate the techniques, tools, and grinds he uses to turn a spherical box, including how to make a set of cup chucks to hold the outside of the box while it is being shaped, and how use a template to accurately hollow the box. Learn how a small modification to the spherical box design can produce a spherical Christmas ornament and how to attach finials and bases using jam chucks. He will show examples of stands he made that become an integral component of the pieces themselves and that prevent the sphere from rolling away.About James
James has been turning since 2001 and makes decorative and functional items such as bowls boxes, vessels, and sculptures. His sculptures are comprised of multiple elements that often include materials such as paint, dye, gold leaf, and colored wire. They explore a theme where each element represents an idea of concept to support the theme. Some are whimsical and cartoonish, while others are more serious. James enjoys teaching and demonstrating woodturning and has taught classes and demonstrated since 2004.
Bowls from Planks - The Easy Way
This is a simple method for making a bowl with four or five band-sawn rings, showing how to do a drawing to determine angles and diameters, how to cut rings, and how to assemble. Design ideas will be shown. This demonstration is highly recommended if you’ve never tried this technique.
Bowls from Planks - The Hard Way
Building on the “easy way,” this will describe a method for designing a bowl with a greater range of shape and size possibilities and more rings. The drawing technique is more complex but allows for much more variety and control of the shape. More design ideas and step-by-step photos of a bowl in process will be shown.
Shellac-based French Polishing on the Lathe
Learn how to mix shellac from flakes, prepare a bowl for finishing, sanding, sealing with super glue, applying a French polish finish showing several applications, and dealing with irregularly shaped areas. Learn why Michael uses this finish.Instant Gallery Critique
About Michael:
My current work concerns forms and surface designs generated via a multi-step lamination process, utilizing the stacking of angled concentric rings cut from a single plank to produce a rough bowl form that is then smoothed and finished on the lathe. Laminations in the plank produce patterns on the surface of the bowl, a constantly evolving design process. I use a variety of mostly tropical woods chosen for color, figure, grain, and workability. All colors are natural. I also create ontogentic sculptures of multiple parts in a gradation of sizes that can be rearranged at will to produce various effects. Along with the beauty and workability of wood, I am inspired and influenced by the architecture and art of the Middle East and India, where I spent several years traveling and exploring as a young man.
I produce all of my works solely myself in my Vermont studio using two wood lathes, various saws, drill presses, sanders, clamps, a wide selection of domestic and imported woods, glues, finishing materials, paper and pencil, 37+ years of experience, inspiration, and persistence. I strive while working to create as accurately as possible each of the unique imaginings that come my way as I consider the indigenous beauty of the natural world and all its providence. May the results please you.
Panels:
Woodturning: Past, Present & Future
Growing Through Collaboration
How to Value Your Work
About Binh
Binh was born in Vietnam. After the war ended in 1975 and refusing to accept the reality of Communism, he planned his escape for freedom. After four long hard years, he came to the United States in 1979 and continued his education, earning his Bachelors in 1982. After picking up woodturning as a hobby in 1992, he never looked back.
Binh is a critically acclaimed artist, known for an expansive approach to work in wood and glass that includes painting and a unique exploration of positive and negative space. The works feature a highly personal iconography, with imagery that relates to Asian culture and the natural world. The story of his journey from an idyllic childhood in Vietnam, the rise of Communism, and his escape to the United States are shared in the book River of Destiny: The Life and Work of Binh Pho, written by Kevin Wallace and published in 2006, in conjunction with a retrospective of his work at the Long Beach Museum of Art.
In January 2013, Binh and Kevin launched their second book, Shadow of the Turning (shadowoftheturning.com). Like its predecessor, it focuses on art, philosophy, and storytelling but is an entirely fictional story, blending the mythic worlds of fairy tale, fantasy, romance, and adventure. It creates a bridge between literature, art world approaches to concept and narrative, and craft traditions. The story is “illustrated” using an exciting new body of work by Binh that combines woodturning, sculpture, painting, and art glass. As the storyline explores collaboration, a diverse group of international artists was brought together to collaborate on works of art that celebrate traditional craft materials and processes to redefine the boundaries of contemporary art.
The book launch and the premier exhibition were held at the Mobile Museum of Art on January 17, 2013. The exhibition will continue to its second venue in Philadelphia at the Center for Art in Wood on October 25, 2013.
Binh is in demand as a lecturer and demonstrator, with work exhibited internationally and in the permanent collections of several museums. Binh will moderate “How to Value Your Work” POP panel this year.
Line and Design
Tania will explore the impact of line and design in woodturning. Line is an important element of design, and when lines are combined with other lines, you can create texture and patterns. This combination results in the development of the form. Tania will show examples of how you can create lines that effectively will help produce excitement in your work. The presentation of a line can have a psychological impact depending on its direction and weight. It has great influence in how we perceive the work both visually and verbally.
Texture and Color in Art
Tania will share some of the textures she uses in her work while discussing the impact of texture as a visual element in art. You will see a hands-on demonstration of the various textures and colors she uses in her work and will have a chance to explore the artistic value of texture. She will show how to create interest in your work through texture, color, and value.Panel: Digital presentations - Preparation & Delivery
About Tania
Tania Radda was born in France and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She was surrounded by the arts throughout her upbringing. Her father, Otto Stupakoff, was a world renowned fashion photographer and the pioneer of fashion photography in Brazil. Both parents were avid art collectors, and her uncle was an art dealer. She moved to the United States in 1985 and married four years later.
Even though art was a strong part of her life, it took Tania a while to finally engage in the arts as a career. In 1996, she decided to pursue a degree at Arizona State University, where she also received an MFA.Tania is considered a master in her technique of bending wood to extremes, as she magically transforms her work into unique whimsical pieces. She has shown her work extensively in the U.S. and abroad, and she has work in the permanent collections of museums and in prominent private collections.
“These sculptures take on lifelike forms derived from nature, where insects, plants, and animals are presented in larger scale, enabling the viewer to experience a different perspective. Sometimes my work makes reference to ordinary objects that I find appealing.
In other cases, it ponders issues that interest me. The work has a cartoonish quality at times, reflecting my love for the world of cartoons and fantasy, a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, where clichés are explored, and where the absurd becomes the norm. I always have been fascinated with mankind’s persistence in exploring the natural wonders of this world. I enjoy reading and exploring books about plants, animals, and any kind of life.
Growing up in Brazil, I experienced up-close the fascinating aspects of nature and today find that, by sculpting these pieces, I can continue to explore and study these wonderful life forms. This process keeps my mind open to new discoveries while feeding my spirit with inspiration that keeps me going as an artist.”
Panel: Making Your Work Distinctive: Ideas and Techniques
About Joey:
In 2005, Joey was awarded a bursary from The Worshipful Company of Turners of London to attend the AAW symposium in Kansas and take classes with leading turners including a 3-day intensive course with Binh Pho. She is now one of the leaders of the artistic woodturning movement that is developing in the UK and has been made a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Turners and a Freeman of the City of London.
In 2012, Joey was awarded a Scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust and the Worshipful Company of Carpenters to cast her wooden floral forms in glass, creating a new and exciting concept.
Joey draws inspiration from nature and her children, their passions and dreams. All her pieces contain a story, most capturing the happiness in her life. It may be one single moment in time, something that makes her heart jump, or something that makes her smile. Like a camera she captures these moments. Her work holds the precious moments allowing the viewer to see into the life of the piece.
Her work can be seen in Riley Galleries, Cleveland OH, and in many exhibitions in England and the USA, including SOFA Chicago and Art Palm Beach.“Professionally I am very fortunate to be a female in what is essentially a man’s world of woodturning. My style incorporates both the more feminine - the delicate and beautiful - and the more masculine - the big and bold. Combined, these two aspects fully encapsulate and make the most striking use of wood’s tactile beauty.
All of my pieces are created with passion, and each has its own history and heart. Whenever possible, I use reclaimed local timber. Each piece is individually hand-crafted on a lathe, with the cutting, shaping, and sanding all controlled by eye, giving great originality. Extra diversity is added by my use of piercing, carving, color, and art work.
I am excited and fulfilled as each unique piece of turned wood comes alive under my hands, each telling its own story, each allowing the viewer to see into the life of the piece.
Trees are a truly beautiful vital resource, and wood art allows nature’s designs to live on in our homes. Woodturning uses skills that began in the mists of antiquity as a base for producing essential utility items. When these skills are taken beyond their utilitarian roots with creativity and imagination and are allied with experiences and a passion from deep within the soul, the result transcends craft and rises into the realms of art.”
PANELS:
Surviving in the Market Place
How to Value Your WorkInstant Gallery Critique
About Thomas
For 30 years, Riley Galleries has been on a search for highly resolved timeless forms of museum quality. We have learned that it is more about form than medium. We intend to aggressively promote the creative explosion of artistic expression by contemporary wood artists.
Inside-Out Turning with a Twist
This multiaxis turning will demonstrate how to generate a form that might not be readily recognized as a turned object. The piece will be turned on a total of three axes. Mark will emphasize proper cutting techniques and the importance of bevel touching as opposed to bevel rubbing to ensure the best results.
Multiaxis Baseball Bat
Mark will demonstrate one of his signature multiaxis baseball bats from his “Rejects from the Bat Factory” series. He will show how he lays out for the design, engineering considerations, and proper cutting techniques for turning wood on multiple sets of centers.
Multiaxis Candlestick
Mark will demonstrate the concepts involved in making a candlestick of his design turned on two axes. He will discuss the design limitations and considerations in making a candlestick and the proper cutting techniques to achieve a quality finished product. He also will discuss the differences between other variations of multiaxis turning and the effects that can be achieved.Multiaxis Spindle-turning Basics
Rolling Pin With a Twist
Spindle-turning Basics
About Mark:
Mark is a woodworker who incorporates lathe-turned forms in his furniture and sculpture. His specialty within turning is multiaxis turning that has allowed him to create forms more sculptural than ones that would expect from that process.
Mark is a professor and coordinator of the Fine Woodworking Program at Bucks County Community College in Newtown PA since 1981. He was honored by the Renwick Alliance (support group for the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution) to receive a “Distinguished Educator Award” for 2010. He was only the second recipient of this award in the wood medium. In 2012, Mark was given the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Collectors of Wood Art.
Sfirri studied furniture design under TageFrid at the Rhode Island School of Design where he received both his BFA and MFA. He has juried or curated 18 exhibitions, including the 2011 Philadelphia Craft Show.
Mark’s work can be seen in the permanent collections of 17 public collections, including the Renwick Gallery, Yale University Art Gallery, Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, Carnegie Museum of Art, Minneapolis Museum of Art, and the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte NC. He has lectured and demonstrated in more that 100 workshops and symposiums throughout the United States, France, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. Mark has published 10 articles about design, technique, and history for a variety of woodworking-related publications. Since 2006, he has been researching the life and work of woodworker Wharton Esherick, for whom he has authored five articles for Woodwork and Journal of Modern Craft.
High Efficiency Deep Hollowing 1 - From Green Wood to Wet Rough-Turned Vessel
This session begins with choosing and preparing green wood for deep hollowing and then turning a cylinder to help determine top and bottom. Steve will create a foot, mount the cylinder in a chuck, and turn the outer shape, stressing the importance of good line and form. He’ll give you tips to prevent cracks and let you know when to give up and start over. Using a center steady, he will drill out the center and demonstrate high efficiency boring and guarded ring tools. He will talk about the factors determining maximum boring depth, setting up and using a laser, and drying the rough form.
High Efficiency Deep Hollowing 2 - From Dry Rough Vessel to Finished Work
Steve will re-center the foot and remount for exterior turning. He will re-turn the form, hollowing to the correct thickness. Creating a smooth interior wall, he’ll discuss to what degree the interior should be finished. Steve will finish the exterior shape, striving for “perfect” lines and curves. He’ll discuss sanding grits and fast and efficient sanding methods. Following a review of the process, Steve will share how to apply a smooth gloss finish right off the brush.
Panel: Growing Through CollaborationAbout Steve:
Born in Omaha NE in 1942, Steve had an early interest in woodworking, leading to a degree in Industrial Education from Iowa State University, followed by a 33-year career in industry and social services facilities management. Woodworking was a hobby, concentrating on furniture and clocks. In 1975, he read Dale Nish’s Creative Woodturning, sparking what has become a passion in artistic woodturning. By 1998 he was turning full time, and in 2001 he and his wife Anne added a studio to their Bettendorf IA home.
Steve concentrates on developing intricate surface decoration using silver leaf, acrylics, and ink on hollow vessels turned primarily of maple, walnut, or cherry. His works are found in museums, galleries, and collections from New York to California and have been featured in art and craft publications in the United States, England, and Australia. The Cheongju International Craft Biennele in South Korea has exhibited his work three times and in 2003 awarded him a special citation.
He has work in three Midwestern museums and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. His work is included in the 2009 book Masters: Woodturning: Major Works by Leading Artists. Another book, Wood Art Today 2, published in 2010, features his newer ultra-thin “Spool” series.
Stools with Hand-Woven Seats
Willie will show the process he uses in selecting wood, turning, drilling holes for rungs, assembling, and finishing a stool. Then he will explain three types of materials used for the stools — shaker tape, fiber rush, and split reed. He will share as many tips as he can think of.About Willie:
I have been turning for more than 30 years. I started while working for my father, refinishing and repairing antique furniture. Chairs would need seats, so I taught myself how to replace fiber rush and split seats. Broken rungs would need replacing, so I went to the lathe and “scraped” out a stick that would work. In time, I had replaced almost every part of a stool, but on many different stools. One day, I decided to make one. It was horrible, with much room for improvement. Over time and with practice, my skills both in turning and seat-weaving improved.
In my workshop, I will show how I make a stool, beginning with selecting wood and mounting the block on the lathe, turning, finishing, and assembling the stool. My main focus will be on repetitive spindle-turning. Stools require 12 individual turnings that are assembled to a frame. The legs should all look alike. I will show easy ways to replicate turnings and share lots of tips and shortcuts I have discovered throughout the years. Once the stool is complete, I will show the process of weaving seats, including how to do the split seat, shaker tape, and fiber rush. It is a time-consuming process, but if you get the fundamentals, you can weave a seat in a few hours.
I am past president and an Honorary Life Member of Blue Ridge (VA) Woodturners. I have participated in many arts and crafts shows throughout the mid-Atlantic for years. Many items that I have made are in private homes, being used daily and for many years to come. While I am honored to have items that I have made in collections, I am more pleased to hear that the things I made are being used as intended.
Panel:
Turning With ChallengesAbout Andrea:
My first exposure to woodturning was watching and helping Allen work on his lathe at home in the garage. Then I went to the AAW symposium in Hartford CT, where I was exposed to the vast spectrum of woodturning. I was inspired to start turning after being guided through the exhibits and having pieces described to me. While wandering through the exhibits, Malcolm Zander kindly came up to me and asked me if I would like to hold a piece. The bowl was beautiful, and the delicate and intricate nature of the design inspired me. Later in the exhibit hall, I ran into Kurt Hertzog and Barry Gross, scheduled for upcoming courses at Arrowmont School of Arts. Kurt and Barry were both willing to accept me as a student, and with some encouragement Arrowmont accepted me as their first blind student in the wood shop.
Being blind and having limited hand function, I realized this would present a challenge. Nevertheless, with assistance, I started to practice at home and subsequently attended the workshops at Arrowmont. Since then, I have been creating pens in different mediums. My interest is in casting different objects and creating unique pens. I have used shells collected at the beach, sand from different beaches, feathers from pet birds, and hair from pet dogs. In addition, I create pens using the indigenous woods on St. John, Virgin Islands.
I currently donate all of my work to the Animal Care Center of St. John, which helps the homeless animals on the island where I live. I am working with the Lighthouse for the Blind to offer other visually impaired people the unique opportunity that I have had. I am honored to be a part of this 2013 symposium.
Art of the Finial
Keith has long believed that the finial represents the epitome of spindle turning. He will show the tools and techniques required to turn stunning finials that will add the finishing touch to your work. He will discuss tool sharpening and proper tool presentation. Using nothing more than a spindle gouge and a skew chisel, he will turn an example of a finial that requires little or no sanding. He places a heavy emphasis on proportion and design considerations, making the process of turning a successful finial a little less mysterious. Attendees can expect to raise their ability to turn finials to a whole new level, far beyond their previous expectations.About Keith:
Keith began his woodworking career nearly 40 years ago, beginning in a cabinet shop immediately after graduating high school. Keith fell in love with woodturning in high school and has been an avid turner since. “I turned a pair of walnut candlesticks in school shop. Just the smell of the stuff as I turned and sanded each piece was enough to get me hooked.”
Keith has become known for his unique style and has demonstrated throughout the US and Canada. His work is represented in several collections internationally and has garnered several awards. His work has been published in Fine Woodworking magazine, the American Woodturner journal, 500 Wood Bowls, and Wood Art Today 2.
Natural-edge Burl Bowls
Have you wondered how people turn natural-edge bowls? How they get that bark all around ... or keep it from flying off? Neil will explore the special techniques for natural-edge bowls and getting the shape, balance, and proportion just right. His embellishments with simple techniques will set your work apart.
About Neil:
Neil lives on a 10-acre wooded block at Stratham, 6 miles south of Bunbury, Western Australia. The years spent on his wheat and sheep farm 111 miles east of Perth (western Australia) provided the opportunity to use timber normally overlooked and neglected by other woodworkers. His early years were spent juggling work and family with occasional woodturning. He has been turning and sculpting timber for more than 34 years, attending workshops whenever possible to improve his technique and sharpen his focus and skills. In 2011, Neil attained a Diploma of Fine Furniture from the Australian School of Wood in Dwellingup. He will incorporate his many skills to make art furniture.“My rural environment greatly influenced me, because I was able to observe the wind, fire, and water impact the land. My intention is to incorporate these aspects into work that has a free, expressive, and organic appearance while using carving and turning techniques to achieve a purity of form. Timber is a living, breathing organism that captures my imagination and provides the opportunity to express thoughts and ideas in a tangible creation that continues to react within its environment. To design and create in timber poses many challenges, both in structure and integrity, but the pleasure I derive from my work is simple — a joy and passion to create pieces of work that I like.”
Panels:
Woodturning: Past, Present & Future
Growing through Collaboration
About Kevin:
Kevin is Director of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts & Happy Valley Cultural Center in Ojai CA, where he curates exhibitions of work in a wide range of media, oversees educational programming, and produces concerts and theatrical productions. His experience with the field of contemporary woodturning began in 1991, when he joined del Mano Gallery, a leading gallery in the field of contemporary craft art located in West Los Angeles. For a decade he was Manager and Creative Director, immersing himself in the field and building lifelong relationships with leading artists, important collectors, and museum directors. During this time, he curated and catalogued several exhibitions at the gallery, some of which were presented at art expositions in New York and Chicago.
Working as an independent curator and author, Kevin has guest-curated exhibitions for several museums and art centers, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Long Beach Museum of Art, the St. George Art Museum, and the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles. An exhibition about the artist Beatrice Wood at the Craft & Folk Art Museum led to his being asked by the Happy Valley Foundation to create the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in 2005.
Kevin has authored and co-authored numerous books on contemporary art and craft and is a regular contributor to numerous periodicals. His most recent book, created in collaboration with the artist Binh Pho, is Shadow of The Turning, published by Fine Arts Press.
Drunken Box
This box has the shape of a sphericon and rolls in 2 directions, as if it were drunk. Hans will show how to turn this shape on the lathe. A very important and interesting part of making this box is the chuck that holds the piece. He’ll show how to make the chuck and its proper use.Pierced-through Box
Hans will start with a lid for a box. He will turn from both sides of the wall until the grooves meet and the holes appear. Part of this demonstration is to explain his handmade “out-of-center“ chuck and how it works. Hans also will turn the bottom of the box, for a complete finished piece.
Saturn Box
Hans will show how to turn a sphere-shaped box with a loose ring on it. To cut the ring loose, he uses very small parting tools that are handmade. He will explain how to make the tools and how to sharpen them.About Hans:
I started my workshop after finishing design college in 1982. After I found my own style, I continued to develop it. This pierced-through work was all made on the lathe. I always wanted to show that it is possible to do complicated work by hand. The time factor was very important for me. I believe that, at the moment when somebody wants to do really good work and starts to hurry, he will not get the results he expected. Enough time and a good amount of concentration are very important. During all those years I developed my skills, I still do everything by eye. Design is an important factor for me, because I was trained as a designer. If all of this comes together, fits, and looks good ... that’s how I worked all the years, and that’s how I want to go on working.