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THE ARTIST
As I grew up I often worked in a little shop my father had added on to the garage. He was a high school industrial arts teacher who, I thought, could make just about anything. At an early age I learned the proper use of hand tools. In 1954, my wife gave me a Shopsmith (a combination tool) which served me well for years. I made simple furniture pieces for the various homes we lived in, and without any instruction I turned a few bowls and platters. Upon reflection, I must admit they were rather primitive. My wife and I moved, a new law practice demanded my full attention, and I did no turning for some years. Now, it is our good fortune to live in a house that has a separate, good-sized building which I use as a shop, as did my father, who in his later years built the house. The old Shopsmith finally wore out, and purchase of more modern equipment renewed my interest in woodturning. My present interest centers on natural-edge bowls, although certain woods are suitable for the usual lidded boxes, candle stick holders, pepper mills, and the like. For bowls, the visual impact of an outer edge of bark, depending on the type of wood, presents a dramatic finish to what might otherwise turn out to be a pedestrian bit of work. Of course, as wood dries in preparation for turning, the bark does not always like to remain intact. During turning, the bark may decide to leave its natural home and the bowl becomes a barkless natural edge. The result may still be interesting to the viewer as well as a surprise to the turner. Discovery is what the art of wood turning is all about. Wood has a certain mystique. The challenge is to visualize the form and function which may evolve from a block of wood. With each project that puzzle must be solved anew. Chet Brisco |