I started turning wood in 2008, and my collection of hand-planes has been largely neglected ever since. As much as I love experiencing that rush of discovery when cutting into a log destined for a local woodstove’s battle against the Vermont cold and seeing what grain patterns are hiding inside, or peeling away the excess wood at the lathe to reveal a beautiful form, I also enjoy seeing it in the faces of others as they remove their first completed bowl from the lathe.
In my own pieces I especially like working with spalted woods - the patterns and colors that develop naturally as the wood begins to decay are well worth the added challenges the material presents.