Origins
How This Came About
Background
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Being descended from German cabinet builders, Scottish monument carvers and a Father that was a Tool and Die Maker; the joy, challenge and desire to work with one's hands must be in my blood. That heritage is a matter of pride, and sets a benchmark I keep in mind on each piece.
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My experience comes from years working with wood, laminates, and plastics on projects including small home improvements, trade show exhibits, and theatrical scenery. There was even a period spent creating wax masters used in casting jewelry designs.
Having been fascinated by wood turning for decades, a few years ago I took a class in pen making. That first pen, as first efforts often go, was not much to write home about (pun intended), and has since been mislaid or borrowed.
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Since Then
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From that point there came another class in pen making, a basic wood turning class followed that, then classes in turning lidded boxes, turning bowls, and workshops in more advanced pen making. The Bloodwood rollerball pictured in the gallery came from that second class. It is one of my favorites, and stays in my personal collection.
Among my instructors are skilled and experienced craftsmen such as: Marc Adams; Nick Agar; Bob Anderson; Chad Balster; Graham Blackburn, Jimmy Clewes; Michael C. Fortune; Alexander Grabovetskiy; Barry Gross; Mark Hedin; Mitch Kohanek; Dave and Brian Lee; and Malcolm Tibbetts.
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An acquaintance had suggested checking out Marc Adams School of Woodworking, and the Fine Writing Instruments class offered there. The instructor team served an intense double dose of methods, tips, and techniques based on their many years of turning and making pens.
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The environment at Marc Adams School of Woodworking is remarkable and invigorating. It is exciting to learn with (and from) the extremely talented, creative and generous group of instructors and fellow attendees in those classes.
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Recently
Focused experience and deeper knowledge are increasing with immersion...reading, practicing, experimenting. You can see some of the results on this website.
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My study and practice continues in such skills as Finishing, Glass blowing, Veneering, Hand work, Design, and Segmented Turning. These are some of the parts of the ongoing exploration of methods and media.
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In the spring of 2019, I was honored to receive the Masters Award from Marc Adams School of Woodworking.
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On 26 August 2020, my writing instruments earned me the designation Indiana Artisan. To learn more about any of the 200+ persons that have earned this distinction, go to www.indianaartisan.org
It has been said that one learns more from the mistakes than from the successes, and it seems there is some truth in that. However, the successes are certainly more gratifying. There is a tray under the workbench where the mistakes wind up. The gallery and the shop are where the successes go. I trust you will agree.
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