The public is invited to join Rose Center in welcoming artist Nelson Ziegler to Morristown today, 2 – 4 p.m. in the Edith Davis Gallery.

Nelson Ziegler is a gifted artist in not one, but three distinct media. Ziegler is an award-winning oil painter, an award winning watercolorist and he is also a master wood turner.

His paintings feature the scenes Ziegler sees every day around his home in Sevier County or on hikes in the Smokies, and the simple moments he finds worthy of capturing.

His subject matter ranges from ocean scenes to mountain streams, and from old cars to musicians pickin’ guitars.

Ziegler is a member of the National Watercolor Society, New England Watercolor Society, the Oil Painters of America the Northshore Art Association and the American Association of Woodturners.

A native of New England, Ziegler is a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston and the Northwestern Academy of Watercolor.

After graduation, he obtained a position as an illustrator for 41 years with the same company.

After a long and satisfying professional career as an artist, Ziegler started looking for a place to retire, enjoy the good life, and find inspiration for his ongoing love affair with art.

He found all that and more in the quiet hills of East Tennessee.

“We are pleased to have an exhibit by such an accomplished and multitalented artist,” says Beccy Hamm, Program Director at Rose Center, “and we will have his watercolor and oil paintings, as well as woodturnings on display.”

Named 2016 “Artist of the Year” by Arrowmont’s Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Committee, Ziegler has participated in numerous juried exhibitions in New York and across the country, including Allied Artists, American Artists Professional League, Salmagundi Club, Knickerbocker Artists, National Arts Club, Hudson Valley Arts Association, as well as Adirondack National Watercolor Exhibition, Faces of America (a national watercolor portrait show), Old Forge New York, Academic Artists Association, Springfield Arts League, Springfield, Mass., Guild of Boston Artists, Copley Society, Boston, Mass., North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester, Mass.”

Light refreshments for the opening reception will be provided by the Rose Service Guild.

“Oil & Water Do Mix” will be on display through May 26. Regular business hours for Rose Center are Monday – Friday, 9-5.

More about Nelson Ziegler is available on his website: www.nelsonzieglerstudio.com.

View source and photos.

 

Call for 2018 Symposium Demonstrators

The AAW’s 32nd International Woodturning Symposium will be held in Portland, Oregon, June 14-17, 2018. To be considered for a demonstrator role at the 2018 Symposium, prospective demonstrators may apply using the online form by August 1, 2017. Deadline: August 1, 2017. Click here to apply.

Bill Juhl has made some of the most beautiful wooden bowls you would ever see.

But don’t call him an artist.

“I shy away from saying I’m artistic,” said Juhl, a retired Air Force engineer. “I’ve worked hard to become a good craftsman. I feel like I can do that without a sense of art.

“But if sometimes artful things occur? Well, then I’m very grateful when that happens.”

What keeps him from calling his work “art?”

“The issue comes about from the argument that if an item is functional in any way, it’s no longer considered art,” Juhl said. “Conversely, if it serves no useful function then it must be art. These may be kind of crazy ideas, but they permeated.”

Juhl is a lot of different things. At the top of the list is woodturner. He’s a member of the Gold Country Woodturners and knows more about different types of wood than most people know exist.

Along with being a retired veteran, Juhl also spent a little time chasing hurricanes and doing weather reconnaissance. He taught some classes at California State University, Sacramento and even started a couple different businesses.

He’s not any sort of official historian or philosopher, but you might think so while chatting with him. He enjoys talking about history, and can going deep into subjects especially having to do with wood and woodturning.

Honing his craft

“I’m driven to become very good at it,” Juhl said. “It’s the same if you’re playing sports or music. You’re not going to be very good if you don’t practice.

“With woodturning it’s the same way. Practice makes you better.”

There are some of the simpler aspects of the craft that seem to appeal to Juhl. For instance, he likes the fact that it’s different from many other trades in a very obvious but subtle way.

“In all other forms of working with wood, the wood remains stationary or slides through while the tools move,” Juhl explained. “In woodturning, the wood is what moves while the tool remains stationary.

“This is woodworking in one of its earliest forms. It goes back to 5,000 B.C. when they were using lathes to create round objects.”

Another aspect that keeps Juhl on his toes is the makeup of the wood itself. Once he digs into a piece of wood, he has no idea what he’s getting into.

He can be most of the way done with creating the perfect bowl, but if he runs into a knot that just crumbles when he hits it, the bowl can go from perfect to useless.

Of course, if the grain of the wood is particularly pretty or the knot left a decorative void, then Juhl may have turned what was going to be a bowl into a work of art.

That becomes easier to understand when one gets a glimpse at the process he goes through to create a bowl.

As it turns out, starting to work on a piece of wood when it’s still fairly wet means that over time that moisture will exit the wood. How fast the water leaves, how dense the wood is and what type of wood he’s working with will all enter into the equation.

So after starting the process of creating a new piece, Juhl will then let it sit for a span to allow the moisture to escape. Sometimes it’s a matter of months, but in some cases that process can go on for years.

Personal passion

Near the end of months- or years-long process only to have an unexpected knot or imperfection or flaw pop up doesn’t mean Juhl immediately gives up on a piece and starts over with a new piece of wood. Instead, he’ll work with it and see what happens.

Regardless of what happens, Juhl’s knowledge and passion to create is obvious even to a casual observer.

Where does his drive come from?

“I guess it’s personal,” Juhl said. “Go big or go home. If you’re going to do something, do it right and don’t hold back. I know it sounds kinda crazy, but …”

Juhl’s face lights up when he starts talking of conceiving and creating something from a piece of wood.

“It’s just a real gift,” Juhl said. “It’s a real gift when you get to work with a piece of wood. When you start shaving, you can’t put those shavings back, so it’s a gift when you are given a chance to explore and see what’s in there.

“Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s not.”

VIEW SOURCE AND PHOTOS.

The American Association of Woodturners (AAW) board and Educational Opportunity Grant (EOG) Committee are pleased to announce 2017 EOG grant award recipients.  AAW’s EOG program offers funding for educational opportunities that expand and enrich the entire woodturning community, creating opportunities for members who would otherwise not be financially able.

For 2017, nearly 100 grant applications were reviewed and a total of 23 grant applications were approved. Approved were a total of 14 financial grants for an aggregate of $15,330 and 19 in-kind lathe grants.  

 

2017 FINANCIAL GRANT RECIPIENTS Chapters Apple Valley  Woodturners, Berryville, VA Inland Northwest Woodturners, Spokane, WA  San Diego Woodturners, Turn Around for Vets program, San Diego, CA Southern Piedmont Woodturners, Concord, NC Individuals Pat Carroll, Bunclody, Wexford, Ireland Judith Deame, Rockland, MA  Catherine Fisher, Nashua, NH Sara Robinson, Corvallis, OR  Scarlette Rouse, Seven Springs, NC  Aria Tudanger, North Billerica, MA David Wright, West Chester, OH Schools Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME  Davies High School, Fargo, ND  Falcon Christian Academy, Falcon, NC

2017 LATHE GRANT RECIPIENTS Chapters Cape Cod Woodturners, Marstons Mills, MA Catoctin Area Woodturners, Ashburn,VA Central New York Woodturners, Liverpool, NY  Coastal Bend Woodturners, Corpus Christi, TX Dakota Wood Turners, Bismarck, ND Hunt County Woodturners, Greenville, TX Maui Woodturners Association, Makawao, HI Quad State Bodgers, Keyser, WV Tri City Woodturners, Greeneville, TN Individuals Latitia Camire, Beaverton, OR  Sue Fox, Satellite Beach, FL  Brenda Keech, Wichita, KS Schools Anchorage Waldorf School, Anchorage, AK Culleoka Unit School, Culleoka, TN Fairview High School, Cullman, AL Grace Baptist Academy, Miami, FL Health Science High School, Beaverton, OR Seward Public High School, Seward, NE Topsail High School, Hampstead, NC

The annual EOG financial grants are made available as a result of the proceeds of benefit auctions held during each AAW Annual International Symposium. Financial grant monies are to be used by recipients for educational expenses such as tuition, registration, demonstrators’ fees, travel, lodging, and meals.

For 2017, the EOG committee also accepted applications for in-kind grants of wood lathes, thanks to the generosity of Jet-Powermatic and Nova Teknatool. The Nova lathes were originally used at the 2016 AAW International Symposium Women in Turning (WIT) Hands-On program and the Jet-Powermatic lathes will be used for the Youth program at the 2017 AAW International Symposium. These lathes and are to be used by EOG recipients to introduce woodturning to individuals and groups who otherwise would not have an opportunity to learn woodturning.

The application process for 2018 grants will open in October and applications will be accepted through December 31, 2017. Learn more.

Standing four metres high and three metres long, the giant hand on display outside Blue Mountains Woodturners’ Mt Riverview clubhouse is a work of art.

More than 20 members worked on the sculpture over the past year, inspired by Michelangelo’s hand of creation on the Sistine chapel ceiling.

The hand also features on directory maps in every shopping plaza telling you that you are here.

“It is in fact a giant ‘selfie’, and has been designed to enable people to take a selfie in front of the work,” said club member Mike Boyle, who brought the idea to his fellow woodturners.

“They thought I was mad. But then everyone was pretty excited about the project,” Mr Boyle said.

“It hadn’t been done before. You can use woodturning for public art. People normally associate woodturning with little bowls.”

The first challenge was creating a sculpture that could be moved.

“It’s all hollow,” Mr Boyle explained. “The major concern was if we would never be able to lift it.”

The woodturners entered the sculpture in Mudgee’s Sculpture in the Vineyard competition late last year.

“It was mounted onto a trailer and transported to Mudgee. The display went over three days, and was attended by over 3000 visitors.

“The reaction from the public to the ‘U r here!’ as it had been named, varied from amazement to disbelief, to straight out fun.”

The woodturners are working on another big project, but Mr Boyle was keeping the details under his hat.

The public is welcome to view the giant hand outside the clubhouse at 19 Calver Ave, Mt Riverview.

View source and photos.

When it comes to honing their skills Dakota Woodturners don’t just sit back and watch.

The Dakota Woodturners Hands-On Symposium teaches you how to take a block of wood and turn it into a piece of art.

“The wonderful part about it is the 37 folks that are turning here, today. We have folks that have never turned before that are turning for the very first time,” John Warren, Dakota Woodturners member says.

The club has put on the symposium for 15 years.
 
It  allows woodturners of all skill levels to learn from some of the best artists in the country, artists like John Beaver.

“I grew up in Southern California near the Pacific Ocean and I thought what can I do to bring the energy and the rhythm of ocean waves to woodturning?” John Beaver, professional woodturner says.

Beaver says he found his own inspiration right outside his door.

But he isn’t keeping what he knows to himself.

” A lot of the major turners share their techniques because they want everybody to improve,” Beaver says.

This sense of comradery is what woodturners say makes the community unique.

“It’s a very rewarding pass time. Once you start learning how to use the lathe, then you get on it, all of a sudden hours have gone by,” Warren says.
 
The group not only values the craft but the friendships they build as well.

“It is a very warm and giving group of folks,” Warren says. “You get to meet some really fine people that want to help you and help you  improve what you’re doing without any consideration or compensation. They just like what they do and like hanging out.”
 
They are keeping this art form alive and well, and free from tarnish.
 
The Dakota Woodturners Club meet the second Saturday of every month at the Bismarck State College Tech Center.

View source and photos.

Some people practice their hobbies alone.

Others join clubs.

For instance, about 75 members of the Dakota Woodturners meet once a month to show each other what they’ve made.

And, in between meetings, they branch out to teach others, both old and young.

“It’s my first time and I thought it was fantastic. I mean, like, I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did, really,” says Trey Shereck, a Century High School Freshman.

21 students from the Career Academy in Bismarck are chipping away to create a honey dipper.

“My kids love it. It’s almost like you can’t drag them off it once they get started,” says Engineering Instructor Jeff Schumacher.

Unlike wood carving, woodturning shapes wood using a lathe. And members of the Dakota Woodturners are teaching students some tricks of the trade.

John Warren with Dakota Woodturners says, “We get a chance to initially show them how to use the tool, how to use your machine, and how to do it safely.”

And when I asked John what his favorite thing about woodturning is, he said, “It is a completely artistic endeavor in that you can move your tool whatever way you want and create a new cut, a new design. You can literally make anything from tiny cups to large bowls.”

And it’s something the students will never forget.

You can see nationally renowned woodturners this weekend at the Academy, during the Woodturning Symposium Instant Gallery. Some of the art work will be for sale.

 

View source, video, and photos.

“Liam was a turner especially known for his double rim vessels. He shared his love of art through his work and giving demonstrations around the world. I knew him best from his participation in the Center’s 2006 Windgate ITE International Residency Program. At this residency, Liam worked side by side with his fellow residents sharing ideas on design and techniques. His “Still Life with Holly”, pictured below, in the Center’s museum collection, was a break through piece exploring the relationship between objects set on an integrated platform. Windgate ITE Photojournalist Vince Romaniello captured Liam’s thoughts as an artist in his YouTube linked here.

 

As Liam developed professionally, he was also an advocate in promoting the history and contemporary turning field in Ireland. This is best reflected in his curated exhibition Tracing the Line in 2006 at the National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland. Liam documented the exhibition in a book of the same title.

 

Liam’s art and personality will be sorely missed in the art community. I am certainly glad to have known him in his early years.”

~ Albert LeCoff
Co-Founder & Executive Director
The Center for Art in Wood

The Dakota Woodturners Club presents its annual Hands-On Woodturning Symposium, in which nationally known demonstrators and instructors teach their styles.

Free and open to the public, the event takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday at Bismarck Public Schools Career Academy, 1221 College Drive.

Local members, who will be displaying their work, also will be available to answer questions regarding woodturning and how to get started.

John Beaver, one of three presenters, has work that reflects the motion and rhythm of the Pacific Ocean, which he has lived near his entire life. Contrast is an important element in his work.

Rudolph Lopez, born in Tampa, Fla., grew to love nature and wood when spending time at an uncle’s ranch in Lutz, Fla. He began the creative process by building fine furniture and cabinetry. Then explored woodturning after he received a natural-edge bowl as a Christmas gift.

Mark Kielpinski, president of the Dakota Woodturners, has been turning wood for seven years. He became drawn to the craft in a quest to learn how to make wood-turned puzzles. Kielpinski focuses on form when creating a piece.

 

View source.

 

The annual Woodturning Show and Sale in Tulsa will raise money for hungry Oklahomans as well as providing beautiful handmade gifts for Mother’s Day.

The event runs from noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22 at 10117 East 50th Street, that’s near 51st and Mingo.

There will be about 300 items on display at the open house with sales going to benefit the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

You can also order a Mother’s Day gift and watch it being made on site. Then at 6 p.m. Monday, April 24, there’s the empty bowl auction.

 

View source, video, and photos.