A Chapter of The American Association of Woodturners

A Chapter of The American Association of Woodturners

Volume 18, Issue 9 The woodturners’ local resource September 2013

Presidents Message Quick Updates
Northwest Woodturners
Last month we held our annual picnic and wood meetings are held on the 1st
auction. The weather was perfect and David’s Thursday of each month 7:00PM
garden was cool and delightful! Perfect to sit www.northwestwoodturners.co
back, relax and enjoy visiting with friends. m ... details and map for.
We’ve worked hard to make it a fun and a mem- Show /tell / Challenge
orable event and hope you all had a great time.
(Even though Barb forgot the onions—what are September: New turnings
hamburgers without onions). You brought some October: Halloween
tasty dishes and we had a great barbecue! David President
and I manned the grills. Richard Hall
Thanks to you for the great wood stash and tools, and other various things you donated [email protected]
to the club. There was even a hand truck auctioned so some lucky member could haul phone 503 649 5582
his treasures home. Remember this is an important annual fund raiser, and it’s directed V. President
to the functioning and vitality of the club. David Williams
Secretary
We have made arrangements with the Guild of Oregon Woodworkers to use their new Roger Crooks
workshop as our meeting place for September and October. The space is very nice, alt- Treasurer
hough it has several large woodworking tools placed here and there that might make Mike Meredith
chair placement interesting. It would also serve well as a place to hold classes, but ar- Members-at- Large
rangements for weekend use have not been made yet, availability for such an extended Bill Giffin
use might prove difficult for GOOW to provide, and the cost might be prohibitive. But Max McBurnett
we will have two months to use the facility to allow us to see how well it meets our Bob Mach
needs. Steve Newberry
Jim Schoeffel
The space is located at 7634 SW 34th Avenue, Portland, which is in Multnomah Village, Stan Postma
right across from the Multnomah Art Center. Parking will be at the Art Center, as there Librarian
is virtually NO parking at the shop itself. We will post a map on My Family and on page Denvy Larson
10 of this Newsletter. Lynne Hemmert
Raffle
We continue to look for alternatives that will serve us in the long term. If you have John Neumann
leads or ideas, please forward them! Supplies
Roger Crooks
Newsletter & Web
Barbara Hall

Richard Official Greeters
This is the ‘summer picture edition’ of fun stuff. Jim Moore
MyFamily Administrator
Owen Lowe

Page 2 Volume Volume 18, IssPuaege082

The Northwest WoodTurners Picnic & Wood Auction

We were welcomed to David Williams house for
The Northwest Woodturners annual picnic barbecue
and wood auction. The food was delicious. Mem-
bers brought scrumptious desserts and salads and
the club provided the rest. Richard and David were
the chefs and we kept them busy. The setting was
cool and we were very comfortable visiting together
shaded by the many trees.

The wood was abundant
and beautiful and we came
home with some choice
pieces. Now to work!!!

Page 3 Volume 18, Issue 8

Design workshop … Movement as Creative Thinking

Sculpture can be really fun. As little children pull the legs out of a lump of clay to form a special
animal we talk about swing. This is the movement we feel in our clay animal. We see it in the arch
of the neck or the stretch of a leg. It’s really potential movement: the animal is about to run, the
bird is poised to fly. “Swing” is the sense of movement we give our stationery sculptures. Can you
see swing in the wooden Chinese carved horse? Swing is the implication of movement. The horse
isn’t really moving, but in our mind’s eye it feels like it is. August Rodin propagated his own
theories that Impressionism is not about communicating movement but presenting it in static
form.

So often this marvelous creative quality is not recognized in a child and is crushed by an unthinking
adult who cannot see past the realism of the subject. When our daughter was three she asked a lot
of questions about the sun. We talked about the sun: how it feels, how it helps plants grow, how it browns our skin and even
makes it red. Kathy returned that day from school in tears. “I drew the sun like I feel it and the teacher told me that I cannot
draw a purple sun”. So much for teachers who are more qualified for professions that do not require creativity. Unfortunately
that is how much creativity is stifled; often at a young age.

One summer I taught an experimental course with two other teachers at the University. We each approached the same topic
from different disciplines. One taught math, another music and I had the movement and art areas. Our students were elemen-
tary school teachers. It was extremely rewarding to experience the incredible ideas these people used in their projects. One
topic was hair pieces, and one woman did a little dance with an upside down high heel shoe tied snugly on the top of her head
with a long brilliant scarf. So simple; but so well done. We all applauded! One man stood aside and did not participate.

Many adults retain the creativity they had as children. Owen Lowe made the scorpion legs,
Steve Newberg the carapace (wood) and I the claws (metal) for our collaborative piece at
Frogwood. Steve created the body of the scorpion from a bowl he had turned, inverted and
carved. Owen created the tail out of turned beads and legs out of wire wrapped briers and I
the claws and pincher hammered from scraps of metal that I formed and gilded. This was a
beast to be feared! ‘Kiss of death’ had a great feeling of movement.

Alby Hall - (Jul 27, 2013 WOW) says, “Going to Art School was the best place for a person
with my approach to life. Being with many like minded people, was a melting pot of creative
thinking. (people who create) There was no right or wrong way, just another way to do and think”. Creativity is in all of us. It
just needs to be coaxed out.

Tom Eckert says, “This visual deception is now the basis for my creative direc-

tion. Cloth carved of wood has much different structural qualities than real

cloth. When this idea is applied to my compositions (floating book, floating cards,

floating rock) a sense of the impossible happens - for me, magic.

What are methods or design ideas we can use to give inherent movement to

our pieces? Turnings that seem like they are off balance give a sense of move-

ment; as do the turnings by Carter and Escoulen . Pieces that use diagonal lines Tom Eckert

suggest movement. Off-center turnings do not necessarily have swing. Often balanced with twists and turns they may

suggest imbalance; but are really centered. When an artist or craftsman creates a real sense of imbalance, he disturbs

Page 4 Volume 18, Issue 08

Design workshop … Actual Physical Movement –Kinetics

calmness, a concept we’ve talked about before. This gives a feeling of excitement … waiting for
something to happen … swing. Are you incorporating swing in some of your pieces?

PART 2: KINETICS

Kinetic art has its origins in the late 1800s impressionist artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas,
and Édouard Manet who originally experimented with accentuating the movement of Standing Wave
human figures on canvas and use of dynamic brushstrokes to create a sense of movement;
(swing). In the early 1900s, certain artists grew closer and closer to ascribing their art to

dynamic motion, rather than potential motion or swing.

Alan Carter Mandarin-Spring

Naum Gabo felt that his moving sculpture Kinetic Construction, Standing Wave, 1919–20 was the first of its kind in
the 20th century. Calder’s style of mobiles created two types that are now referred to as the standard in kinetic
art. There are object-mobiles and suspended mobiles. Object mobiles on supports come in a wide range of
shapes and sizes, and can move in any way. Suspended mobiles were first made with colored glass and small
wooden objects that hung on long threads. We ordinarily produce stationary sculptures and need only be con-
cerned with different views of the same object, front, sides, back, top and even bottom. With movable art, we
add not only stationary views; but a multiplicity of views as the item takes on different shapes, shadows and even
pseudo forms. Some wood turners have been creating fun puzzles and amazing kinetic sculptures that delight us for
years. They can be exciting and even mesmerizing; but movement is activated by a power source.

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/Turning/Turning1.html Charlie Belden
The Gold Dragon Fly incorporates movement by the use of a small springy wire for movement. A
light puff of air will set the dragon fly in motion … a small springy wire permits the dragon fly to
pivot around on it and rock back and forth and side to side. The delicate wings are made of veneer,
the pedestal is black walnut.

http://www.woodthatworks.com/ David C. Roy
David works extensively in Adobe Illustrator. He has developed li-
braries of kinetic sculpture parts and documents filled with layers. He
turns the layers on and off depending on which sculpture he is work-
ing on. Recently all layers were turned on at once and the resulting
image is a wood work of art unto itself. Electricity driven.

BUUGENG • A CURVED KINETIC INSTRUMENT
Buugeng are the curved pieces with two folding C-shaped blades that are manipulated to
create evolving patterns. The word is a registered trademark of Dai Zaobab and it can be
translated into the combination of three words - martial arts, infinity, and illusion. It is a
cross between dance, motion, juggling, and kinetic sculpture. The first generation
Buugeng was created in 2003 and gained widespread exposure in 2007. Powered by hu-
man energy.

Can you create kinetic movement in your turnings - either implied movement or dynamic motion? Barbara Hall

Page 5 Volume 18, Issue 08

Frogwood … Collaborative Participants

August 9-11, 2013
at Dale Larson’s
workshop.

Page 6 Volume 18, Issue 08

Volume 18, Page 6

Frogwood ... creations

The double sided tower is a Col-
laborative piece we all worked
together to produce under the
creative guidance of noted New

Zealand artist,
Graeme Priddle

Page 7 Volume 18, Issue 08

Library Wagon News: September 2013

This month we shall review Woodturning Today A Dramatic Evolution. This publication was for
mulated, "Celebrating The American Association of Woodturners 25th Anniversary 1986 - 2011”. From the back cov-
er: Discover the Beauty of Wood Shaped by the Hands of a Community. When it comes to the many traditional
methods of working with wood, there's something very special about woodturning. Woodturning is easy to learn and
quick to accomplish; with a few tools, limited practice, and a small amount of space, anyone can unlock the beauty of
wood in the time it takes to prepare a meal.

A Dramatic Evolution chronicles the impressive growth of the woodturning field, and the development of the AAW
within it. This unique perspective celebrates the connection between the two and the role this premier woodturning
organization has played in making woodturning a highly respected art form.

This publication is put out by: The American Association of Woodturners, 222 Landmark Center, Saint Paul. MN
55102, and can be found in the Northwest Woodturning The American Association of Woodturners, 222 Landmark
Center, Saint Paul. MN 55102.

It can be found in the Northwest Woodturning Library.
See you all at the next Woodturning Meeting.

Denvy Larson

Demo October … Russell Coker … Fence Post Vases

West Linn, Oregon

I began turning wood when I moved to the Northwest in 2001. Since then, I have traveled the art show circuit with
about 100 shows in California, Nevada, Montana, Washington and Oregon. This
has given me experience needed to perfect my design and creativity.

I turn and shape each piece according to criteria that the wood displays: where and
what inclusions are there, how the figure of the wood seems to played out, in the
grain of wood, the condition of the wood. Natural edges complement the burl’s
individualism.

All my burl wood is purchased. Another source of wood is downed trees that have
fallen. I have turned Fence post vases from 100-year-old posts, so some of my work
is considered recycling.

Sanding and finishing is done with oil, shellac, varnish and lacquer depending on the
turning produced, and wood. Hopefully we can create an object people find attrac-
tive and love to touch.

Russ

Page 8 Volume 18, Issue 08

Our Business Members

North Woods has new stock:

Buckeye Burl, Yellow and Red Gum Eucalyptus,
Norfolk Pine, Rosewood, Pistachio and even more

We have U-cut firewood for $80b per cord
We have openings for work/wood exchange,

any and all skill levels.

We thank our business partners.

We encourage our Northwest members to visit
their stores and find the many new products they
carry and stock up on the necessary items for
their wood turning needs.
Be sure to remind the sales clerk that you are a
member of the Northwest Wood turners! We
reward our turner Show and Tell and Challenge
winners with generous gifts based on member
purchase

Page 9 Volume 18, Issue 08

Local Events, Classes, and Editor’s Notes

9/07 What’s New Woodcraft 11:00AM Submissions to the newsletter are due by the
9/07 Mariinettes Woodcrafters 10:00AM-3:00PM 20th of the month. Articles, tips, web links, clas-
9/14 Wood Burning Woodcrafters 10:00:AM-3:00PM sified ads, or other items pertaining to woodturn-
9/21 Sharpening Toola Woodcrafters 10:00:AM-3:00PM ing are welcome.
9/28 Relief Carving Woodcrafters 10:00:AM-3:00PM
Barbara Hall
Many other fine demos and classes are available from your local stores: Newsletter/Website Editor
August Demos listed above. Classes are on line listing. Phone: (503) 649-5581
Woodcraft Store at (503) 684-1428 Email [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]
Rockler Store at (503) 672-7266 Email [email protected]
Classes All other business should be directed to:
Woodcrafters Store at (503) 231-0226 Web page http://woodcrafters.us/ craft sup- Northwest Woodturners
plies P.O Box 1157, Lake Oswego, OR 97035
*Fee: students should bring chucks, sharpened turning tools, safety gear.
If you did not receive a courtesy email from
Please phone businesses with questions on demos and classes. me that the June Newsletter was on line the
beginning of the month, please email your
corrected email address to me.
[email protected]
All Newsletters can be accessed from the
NWWT website or the Members Forum.
Members Only who do not have email ac-
cess; please give me your address for mailing
your July Newsletter to you.
[email protected]

2013 Northwest Wood Turners Meeting Schedule

Key: H1 Hands-on class Friday H2 Hands-on classes Friday and Sunday H3 Three day Hands-on class D Saturday Demo

Jan 2013 Annual Swap Meet July 2013 No meeting (Holiday)

Feb 2013 Ron Fox: Pens Aug 2013 Picnic/Wood Auction

Mar 2013 Ashley Harwood H2 D Sep 2013 Russell Coker Post Vases

Apr 2013 Neil Seigel: Ladle Oct 2013 Spalted Wood

May 2013 Phil Lapp: Hollowing Systems Nov 2013 TBA

June 2013 David Williams: Woodturning Evolution Dec 2013 Christmas Party

Cascade woodturners Demonstrators

Sept. 2013 demo: Ron Gerton [email protected] 503-645-2231 note: New meeting place August, September

Willamette Valley’s Demonstrators

Sept. 1013 demo: Keith Gotschall will be here in September. Keith will also be putting on an all day demo, Friday and 2 day work-
shop Saturday/Sunday. The all day demo will be $25.00 and the workshop, $210.00 for both days. Terry invites our NWWT members to
attend. There are still a few openings. [email protected]

Southern Oregon: Umpqua Turning Club Demos

New Oregon Club

Page 10 Volume 18, Issue 08

Our Meeting Place for September and October

We have located meeting places for the September and October meetings in the facility of the Guild of Oregon Woodworkers
at 7634 SW 34th Avenue, Portland - in Multnomah Village. Park at Multnomah Art Center. Directions and map for Novem-
ber and December will be posted on My Family.

Show your NWWT Membership Card to receive a discount of your purchase at Gilmer’s, Rockler, Woodcraft, Woodcraft-
ers, NorthWoods and Crosscut Hardwoods. Membership has benefits. (Plus great demos)

P.O. Box1157
Lake Oswego OR 97035