| Featured Demonstrators | ||
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| Jimmy
Clews
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I have 20 years of experience of woodturning and related products. | |
| After leaving school at 16, I worked for 4 years gaining an apprenticeship in engineering. | ||
| I then studied 3-Dimensional Design at Manchester Polytechnic for a further 4 years specializing in designing and making furniture. I was particularly influenced by Japanese tools and furniture design. My subsidiary subject was silver-smiting. After gaining a 2:1 Hon ours Degree I went to work for Craft Supplies Limited. | ||
| I have had several exhibitions of my work locally and exhibited an oriental style display cabinet in the London International Furniture Show at Earls Court which was featured in the "Cabinet Maker and Retail Furniture" magazine. I also design commissioned pieces of furniture. | ||
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was whilst I was at college that my interest in woodturning was rekindled
after spending a couple of days talking to and turning with Jim Partridge.
Having previously had his own business as a tree surgeon, Jim gained knowledge
and experience of working with wood. He uses this to explore the potential
of various cuts of timber and incorporates this natural design into his
woodturning. It was whilst I was at college that my interest in woodturning was rekindled after spending a couple of days talking to and turning with Jim Partridge. Having previously had his own business as a tree surgeon, Jim gained knowledge and experience of working with wood. He uses this to explore the potential of various cuts of timber and incorporates this natural design into his woodturning. |
 I am currently working as a freelance woodturning demonstrator and course instructor, both in the UK and internationally. I am a regular contributor to "Woodturner", and am on the Register of Professional Woodturners. |
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| Visit Jimmy Clewes web site | ||
| J. Paul Fennell | ||
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| J. Paul Fennell has his studio in Scottsdale, AZ. He has been interested in woodworking since a very early age. He was educated as an Engineer and was a mission analyst on the Apollo space program. During his engineering career Paul used woodworking to reduce his stressful job. It was during this time he discovered the lathe. Moving back to Massachusetts in the 1970's he attended the final Albert LeCoff symposia in Philadelphia in the early 1980's and was able to meet the notable turners such as Stocksdale, Ellsworth and Osolnik, as well as, upstarts like Hunter, Stubbs and Hosaluk. | Paul is a charter member of the AAW and has demonstrated at several AAW Symposiums. His interest is creating original thin wall objects from the lathe. Paul used mostly native American wood and a wide variety of surface texturing, gilding, piercing and carving to enhance to the the plain shapes and forms he develops. | |
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| (J. Paul Fennell demonstration at the Carolina Mountain Woodturners - click here) | ||
| John Jordan | ||
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| John believes that fresh cut logs is a very direct and responsive medium that he can exert a great deal of control to achieve the desired result with surface textures and shapes that would be difficult to achieve with other materials. |  |
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| John Jordan has his studio tin Antioch, (Nashville area), Tennessee. John is known for his textured and carved hollow vessels. John works mainly with local woods such as cherry, maple and English walnut. His pieces are initially turned on the lathe from fresh cut, green logs which are from tree removal for construction, the dump, mulch operations or wherever the tree is destined to be burned, buried or processed. | John
has developed the ability to study the grain flow, color variations and
grain shape in the early part of the turning process and to adjust the
piece to enhance the final result. Currently John divides his time between working in his studio and teaching/demonstrating woodturning techniques, shapes, surface enhancement and methods of shifting the workpiece to obtain the most dramatic illusion from the grain, natural inclusions and sap wood. "A simple object can be very powerful and emotional just for what is. I suspect these are similar to the feelings that makers of decorative objects have felt for thousands of years." |
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| A July 2002 review of a John Jordan demonstration to the Carolina Mountain Woodturners - Click here | ||
| Ray Key | ||
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Ray, from Bretforton, UK, has been turning wood for over forty years. The first seven years were in industry, the next eight as a hobby and the past twenty-six as a full time living. | |
| He has two distinct areas of working, one where the emphasis is on functional use, salad bowls, cutting boards and platters and the other individual objects for the Gallery and collector market. In this area the items are made to give mainly visual pleasure, although many can be used and often are actually used. Ray feels there is a common theme running through his work. Namely elegant simplicity. His passion for turning and a willingness to share his knowledge keep him traveling throughout Europe and to world wide travels. | ||
| Ray was the founding Chairman of The Woodturners of Great Britain in 1987 and is now their President. He has also been a member of The Worcestershire Guild of Designer Craftsman since 1973, during that time served as Secretary, Treasurer, Chairman and President. |  |
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| In his book London Minimum Herbert Ympa describes Ray's bowls as having Wabi, meaning "voluntary poverty". If an object deemed to have Wabi it represents pure - in form, material and execution. | ||
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| For more on Ray Key The Worcestershire Guild of Craftsmen, Click here | ||
| Richard Raffan | ||
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Richard Raffan is an Internationally acclaimed for both his turning skills and as a teacher. He is a master with the skew chisel and has an encyclopedic knowledge of wood turning. Richard started his woodturning career in the mid-seventy's and since has become a World traveler providing demonstrations and instruction in almost every country where there is a woodturning community. | |
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"Few activities can be more fulfilling or challenging than the creation of a serviceable object that can be used and enjoyed for decades, or even generations. It is easy to create an object that functions well, that does the job, as difficult to make one that will also grace the eye when not in use and feel good in the hand." |
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""Turned
for Use", is a welcome intrusion into a round of woodturning where
aggressively non-functional forms reign supreme and where practicality
is often seen to devalue an object and demean the maker. One should
feel ashamed of turning functional objects only if they are ill conceived,
(don't work), poorly made or pretentious". |
"By handling an object in which form, function and tactile elements combine successfully, we extend our perception and enjoyment of that object and enrich our daily lives. And whilst non-functional or sculptural turnings sit aloof to be viewed, utilitarian objects become more interesting with age as the inevitable scuffs and scratches of daily life combine with constant handling to create those wonderful patinas associated with a well-used tool handle or stair rail polished by a thousands sweaty palms. The useful can be beautiful, especially when used". - Richard Raffan, Australia | |
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| Chris Ramsey | ||
| Chris hails from Somerset, Kentucky He was introduced to woodturning in October 1997, after an unfulfilling career in electronics. "I was drawn to my true calling and profession as a woodturner". | ||
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 (Hat for President George Bush) |
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| "We live in the most beautiful state in the U. S. After realizing the amount of timber that is lost to ice storms, wind, disease and land development, I have been enamored by the concept of turning wood that is slated for a landfill. I have concentrated my selections of woods to be those native of Kentucky. Due to nature's ravages, an individual's loss of a tree that would be trash is transformed into a magnificent piece of artwork and constitutes the ultimate in recycling". | I
had the great pleasure of meeting Rude Osolnik. We became friends and
discussed turning for hours. Rude told me of his great love of the art.
I have adopted Rude's love and passion of turning. He is my greatest inspiration.
Chris also turns and shapes hats "made to size", not only for
gentlemen, but wide brim "Southern" bonnets for ladies. Large
natural edge bowls are another example of his special turning skills.
The creative process found in woodturning is most rewarding. From the vision in my mind's eye of shape and form, the selection of the perfect piece of wood and the ability to make the vision a reality by turning a magnificent piece of artwork, transformed from trash to treasure. |
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| For more on Chris Ramsey visit his web site. (Click here) | ||
| Chris Stott | ||
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Chris Stott lives in the UK and became a professional woodturner in 1982 and for approximately 10 years exhibited and sold his work at Fairs and Shows. Following this teaching and demonstrating took over as a major part of his work, as well as, taking time to write turning books and many articles on woodturning techniques. | |
| Because there is less pressure to produce a large quantity of work Chris now concentrates on design and the use of color and texture to emphasize the grain patterns in wood. Chris' finish is often simple a buffing, sealer and wax. | ||
Chris' specialty is boxes in all shapes and designs, as well as, spindle
work and off-set turning. He has been known to complete seven to eight
demonstration pieces in a morning and still takes time to discuss his
techniques and instruct on details of his turning process. |
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| Visit Chris at his web site - Click here | ||
