Wood Turned Art Newsletter, May 2002

Introduction

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Welcome to the first issue of Wood Turned Art Newsletter. If you like what you see in these pages, feel free to tell others. If you want to be removed from the list, just send me an e-mail stating this and I will see to it promptly.

Creativity

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Have you ever wondered how people think of all those great ideas? I do not mean those instances where you see some great turning by somebody else and make something like it. I am talking about those times when a new idea strikes you - something you have never attempted before and have not seen anywhere else. I have been turning for a number of years, and I still find the creative process to be a mystery.

For me, creative leaps happen spontaneously, not because I have tried to think of something new and exciting to make. Take, for example, the clock I have pictured on my website (www.woodturnedart.vcn.com ) under the link My Best Discovery. I made that clock body from a limb of Caragana arborscens, which often has an irregular pattern of red around the heartwood.

One morning, last December, I bounced out of bed knowing exactly how to put that pattern on the outside of a turned object instead of buried in the middle. I had two seasoned limbs of Caragana in my shop, one with a greater diameter than the other. I decided to use the larger and leave the smaller for something else.

Having made that decision, I picked up the smaller limb and proceeded to make the clock. Somehow, I had switched from being an active participant to one who was watching the thing unfold before me. Maybe it doesn't work this way for all, maybe these jumps strike others differently, I really do not know. But this I know, to develop artistically you need a level of skill or proficiency that allows the mind to relax and not be totally absorbed by the process.

If you want to make progress in the art of turning, copy the advise of teachers of other art forms. For example, music teachers often advise their students to adopt a pet piece, one that they play several times each day. This way the students can get so familiar with the notes and the technicalities of producing the notes of the piece that they can begin to focus on the real essence of the music. Similarly, I suggest that you adopt a pet shape that you produce again and again until you can feel detached from and independent of the gouge as it cuts the shape. These moments of detachment are the breeding ground for leaps to new levels of ability and art in your turning.

Wood Talk

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A couple of years ago, a friend gave me a few pieces of Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany, Cercocarpus ledifolius (a member of the rose family). The pieces I received had been standing dead. In Wyoming, that means the wood was DRY. I found that I could barely cut this with my high-speed steel turning tools, though my Glaser gouge does not seem to have any trouble. I do not know when I have every tried to turn a harder wood!

The wood is dark brown with streaks of light brown, it is oily and it will polish to a beautiful finish without adding anything else. If you can get some of this species or the related Cercocarpus montanus, give it a try. After turning, I recommend sanding to a fine grit (at least 320 or finer). You may also want to burnish your wood with some brown paper toweling or the backside of some cloth-backed sandpaper. This brings the oils to the surface and creates a natural finish. If you wish, apply a coat of beeswax or other wax and buff to a nice sheen.

You may see an example of a piece of Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany on my website under the Clocks: Better link or see this month's special.

Discounted Item

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For the month of May, 2002, you may purchase the Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany Clock, CLK-009 pictured below, at a 10% discount off the regular price. The regular price is $110.00; your discounted price is $99.00 (plus $5.00 shipping and handling for domestic orders). I accept Visa, MasterCard, or e-check through PayPal or send me a money order.

CLK-009

I will give preference to "Money in hand." Any monies I receive after the item is sold, I will return to the sender. Also I will reject any money I receive from people who are not on my subscriber list. This is a subscribers-only special discount. For a more complete description of this clock, see www.woodturnedart.vcn.com under the Clocks: Better link.

So Long For Now

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I hope you enjoyed your issue of my newsletter and found something useful. If you have comments or criticisms, contact me at the email address below.

Thanks,

Ellis Hein