Woodturning

New Zealand has a woodturning community as diverse as the timber the country produces. From free flowing artistic pieces, highly involved technical challenges, art-craft and fine art through to the well balanced domestic bowl - New Zealand has it all.

The geography of the country gives diverse climates which produce their own unique timbers with different working qualities. Native timbers such as Kauri, Rimu, Matai and Totara are complemented by introduced species such as Ash, Oak, Cherry, Yew and Sycamore, along with large numbers of less well known woods, giving the turner a diversity of colours, textures and working qualities to enjoy.

Wood is a great material to work with. It can go rotten, dry out, shrink, split and be eaten by bugs! Working with and around these natural tendencies is the fun and the challenge of the medium.

Does the turner wait to dry a block of wood? Part turn it, leave it to dry and reform it into perfect symmetry? Or possibly work with the wood wet using the distortions produced on drying as part of the overall design.

Similarly does the turner work with a wood that will dazzle the viewer with natural grain and colour or is that unimportant, the colour of the wood being subservient to form, applied colours, or use of other media?

The turner also has a choice of density of wood, close grained or open grained, relying on natural qualities or adding embellishments and extra texture to entice the eye and hand.

Wood is tactile and invites touch, particularly turned wood. Seeing some of the images in the gallery will be the next best thing to having that experience.