artist's statement
Well, I could wax poetic about how I love the “mystery of a piece of wood, and the joy of discovering the beauty hidden inside”―and true as it may be, that’s what other woodturners always seem to say. For me the deeper truth is that I simply love turning wood into artful round things. I have always enjoyed working with flat pieces of wood, but there are certain constraints like exact angles and measurements involved in most traditional woodworking. Round wood, on the other hand, is more of a free-for-all. Woodturning is gloriously messy, yet it still requires a combination of strength, finesse, and precision. It can be very spontaneous, or meticulously planned, yet in most cases there are no real requirements for measurements until after the piece is done.
And of course, there’s the look on someone’s face the first time they see the beautiful things hiding in a piece of wood that would otherwise end up in a fireplace or wood chipper. So I guess we’re back to the “mystery of a piece of wood, and the joy of discovering the beauty hidden inside” bit, huh?
- Vaughn