Symposium Demonstrators

 

          Joe Fleming

Artist's Statement -Woodworking provides me with an outlet for my creativity. I enjoy finding a piece of wood, envisioning what it can become, and then transforming it into a beautiful art or craft piece. I make both art pieces and functional pieces, but I always strive for beauty. My woodturning consists all types of turning disciplines including bowls, hollow forms, platters, vases, boxes and furniture components. I use a variety of wood species in my work, including local urban forested woods like eucalyptus, and other reclaimed wood. I also use wood from certified forestry projects in the Pacific Northwest, Central America and Australia.

Woodworking Biography -I have been an amateur woodworker for over 45 years and an amateur woodturner for more than 20 years. My skills are primarily self-taught with assists from various class work, from woodworking publications, and through participation in various woodworking clubs. I have studied with many noted wood artists including, Allan Batty, Stuart Batty, Christian Burchard, Jimmy Clewes, Don Derry, Michael, Hosaluk, John Jordan, Binh Pho, Richard Raffan, Merryll Saylan, Susan Working and many others. My dad gets the credit for instilling in me a passion for hand-made wood items.

I am a member of: • The San Diego Woodturners • The San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association • American Association of Woodturners

 

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        Barry Gross

Barry's recent work, creating fine writing instruments from re-cycled material, has lead to his receiving a Readers’ Choice Award from Pen World Magazine. He has published over 50 articles in several woodworking magazines, is an author of three books on turning and just released his second DVD. He is a member of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW), Bucks County Woodturners, Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman, Pen Makers Guild and was chosen to join the National Register of Who’s Who for executives and professionals.

He is a guest speaker / presenter at many woodworking shows and turning clubs throughout the northeast and has twice been chosen twice to demonstrate his pen techniques at the most recent AAW symposiums in Albuquerque New Mexico and Hartford Connecticut.

He was featured by Pennsylvania Cable Network and Ebru TV for his unique style in using recycled material to make pens. Both of the premier international pen magazines, Stylus & Pen World, have written articles on this independent pen maker.

 Barry was commissioned by the “White House” to make pens as gifts for former Vice President Cheney and his pens can be found in the pockets of several famous individuals including Steven Spielberg, Jimmie Buffet, Greg Norman, the former Speaker for The House of Representatives Dennis Hastert, Norwegian concert pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and many local and state politicians.

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         Kristin Levier

I create minimalist contemporary sculpture inspired by my deep fascination with the natural world, and my mission as an artist is to tell a story through work at the intersection of art and science. I’m driven to make art that excites curiosity and connects us to the extraordinary, strange beauty of the world around us. 

The two decades I spent as a research molecular biologist allowed me to explore the complexity of our world, and I continue to view my surroundings through the eyes of a scientist. The structure of a leaf or the movement of a bacterium can be astonishingly beautiful, and I sculpt with the aim of illuminating the subtle and the tiny.

Through my work I hope to deliver scientific content viscerally to encourage curiosity and a desire to look more closely at the smallest details of the fantastically rich and beautiful world around us.

 

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       Bob Rotche

Virginia based woodturner, Bob Rotche, has been interested in working with wood for most of his life but it wasn’t until 2010 when he started spending significant time with the wood lathe that his passion for making really took off. Initially focused on revealing the natural beauty of the wood with bowls and hollow forms, he soon became fascinated with the creative possibilities afforded by surface enhancements including carving, texturing and coloring. A big proponent of the craft school experience as well as national and local woodturning symposia, Bob’s skills were honed with the help of a variety of gifted and talented wood artists who were willing to share their knowledge.

At this point, he is taking those skills and applying them to his current interest in sculptural forms. Fascinated by shapes and curves, positive and negative space, color and texture and the limitless ways in which they all can be combined to create visual interest.

Bob’s work has been featured in numerous juried exhibitions across the country as well as several magazines. For more information, check out his website at www.bobrotche.com

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        Linda Ferber

 

I have early memories of working on craft projects, mostly revolving around spending time with family. I love to make items that capture a moment or emotion.

The first part of the process is the material and shape, selecting the wood, turning the shape. The final step is the application using woodturning and applying color to bowls and pin jewelry.

 Inspiration is drawn from my surroundings as well as memories. It is making a connection to these experiences and attempting to interpret them through the shape and color of a piece.

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            Barbara Dill

     Barbara has been working with wood since 1987. After buying a lathe in 1990, she became fascinated with multi-axis turnings and began experimenting with multi-axis turnings on spindles. For several years she was delighted with the whimsical forms. Along with the fun came frustration of not knowing what to do next. In 2006, she decided to isolate herself and figure out what these spindles had in common, if anything. 

     Her discoveries led to a systematic way to think about multi-axis spindle turning. Her first articles were published in American Woodturner in 2007, and she became a sought-after instructor. Teaching has led to a deeper understanding of this complex area of turning, and more articles were published in American Woodturner during 2010, 2011, and 2013. She self-published a shop guide to multi-axis spindle turning and has made some videos of her teaching that can be accessed through her web site.

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