I began woodturning in 2000. Obviously I have a lace fetish. This I blame on Binh Pho, whose seminar in Albany I attended in 2003, after which I immediately went out and bought a dental drill and compressor and airbrush. The lesson is to attend as many woodturning conferences as you can, because you never know where one demonstration may lead you.

I am very interested in form, seeing different manifestations of form in wood, fiber, glass, and ceramic art, and I am exploring these differences and similarities in my art, together with the influences of texture and color.

Woodturning for me is a very rewarding pursuit, because in a relatively short period of time one can produce something of real beauty. Of course, from the sweep of the Grand Canyon to the structure of a microbe to the form of a flower, the greatest artist of all is nature. We cannot compete with nature, but we can be inspired by it.

Résumé

Education

  • M.Sc. (New Zealand, 1964)
  • Ph.D. (Toronto, 1967)

Former career

  • Professor and program coordinator, Algonquin College, Ottawa, 1969-1999. Taught courses in biochemistry, organic chemistry, toxicology & occupational safety, in English and in French. Coordinated program producing biochemical technologists. Retired in 1999.

Woodturning career

  • 2000 – Began turning.
  • 2001 & 2002 – Toronto ‘One of a Kind’ juried craft show.
  • 2003 – Ottawa Signatures ‘Originals’ juried craft show

Awards

  • Ottawa Wood Show, 2002.
    First competition. Entered in Intermediate and Senior categories, against several turners of long experience. Received first and second in Intermediate, first and second in Senior, People’s Choice Award (for the turning voted most popular by the public), and Best of Show.
  • Ottawa Wood Show, 2003.
    Second competition. Entered in Senior and Master categories. Received second and third in Master, first in Senior hollow forms and first in Senior bowls.
  • Canada Council for the Arts: Travel Grant, 2004.
  • Ontario Arts Council Craft Artist’s Grant, 2004.
  • Winner of the Niche Award for Turned Wood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2009.
  • Ontario Crafts Council Award for Excellence, 2012

Collections:

  • Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa/Gatineau, Canada
  • Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa
  • Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts
  • Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts
  • The Contemporary Museum, Hawaii
  • The Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • The Kamm Teapot Foundation
  • Her Excellency Michaelle Jean, former Governor General of Canada
  • Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
  • Nobel Laureate Jules Hoffmann & Mme. Danièle Hoffmann
  • Corporate collections: Shell Canada, Telus Communications, Staples, British Columbia Hydro, Home Hardware, Ikea, Canadian National Railways and Toronto-Dominion Bank.
  • To date (2023), my work is owned by individual collectors in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, US Virgin Islands, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Zealand, France, Holland and Australia.

Selected Exhibitions

  • The Space Between, Juried and invited exhibition of the American Association of Woodturner, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 2022
  • New Horizons, an exhibition of fine wood art by acclaimed wood artists, an invited exhibition for Gallery at the Park, Richland , Washington, and AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, Minnesota; May-September 2018
  • Explorations in Wood, selections from the Center for Art in Wood, a touring exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, the Maloof Foundation, the Dennos Museum Center and the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, from April 2017 to May 2020.
  • Creativity in Construction: A Collaboration of Materials, juried and invited exhibition of the American Association of Woodturners, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2015.
  • Audacious: The Fine Art of Wood from the Montalto Bohlen Collection, Exhibition at Peabody Essex Museum, Salem MA, 2015
  • Beyond Containment, invited exhibition, Annual Symposium of the American Association of Woodturners, San José, CA, 2012.
  • The American Association of Woodturners: An International Invitational Exhibition of Turned or Sculpted Wood, Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center, Asheville, NC, 2012
  • Hand Made exhibition, Carnegie Museum of Art collection, April 2011
  • Invited national craft exhibit for G-20 meeting, Toronto, 2010.
  • The Teapot, invited exhibition, Annual Symposium of the American Association of Woodturners, Hartford, Connecticut, 2010.
  • Contemporary Wood Art: Collectors’ Selections exhibition, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2010
  • The Art of Craft, juried Canadian national crafts exhibit for Cultural Olympiad at the Museum of Vancouver for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, 2010.
  • Unity and Diversity: Selected Works juried Canadian national exhibition, Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, South Korea, 2009.
  • Over the Edge, Woodturning into Sculpture, invited exhibition, Prichard Gallery, University of Idaho, 2008.
  • Collectors of Wood Art, Scottsdale, Arizona, 2008.
  • Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, California, 2008.
  • Small Treasures Exhibitions, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2005-2008.
  • Turning Green, juried Exhibition of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) ; Portland, Oregon, & St.Paul, MN,2007.
  • SOFA (Sculptural Objects and Functional Art) Exhibitions, New York and Chicago, 2006 & 2007.

Selected Publications

Featured in numerous publications of American Woodturner, Woodturning, Craft Arts International, magazines, books and videos from 2004 to the present. Author of a dozen articles in the American Woodturner, circulation 16,000.  A few examples:

Demonstrating and Teaching

Invited demonstrator to two AAW symposia, the Australian Turnfest symposium, the first New Zealand International symposium, the Grey-Bruce (Ontario) Turnfest symposium, the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and to numerous woodturning guilds in North America. Taught hands-on classes at many woodturning clubs in North America. Over a twelve year period organised 2-3 week tours of Ontario for Paul Fennell, Betty Scarpino, David Ellsworth, Glenn Lucas, Michael Mocho, Binh Pho, Neil Turner, Joe Ruminski, Nick Agar, Graeme Priddle & Melissa Engler, and Eli Avisera, involving many of the eleven Ontario woodturning guilds. Invited speaker at the Intersections Wood Collaborative 2026 Wood Symposium, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, October 16-18, 2026.

Instigated and co-organised the inaugural Ottawa Turnfest, May 23-24, 2026, featuring Dale Larson, Elizabeth Weber and Art Liestman, with 100 attendees.The above active  link provides a review and photographs of the event.

Demonstrating at the Toronto Woodturners Guild, 2016.

Professional Activities

  • Competition Coordinator, Ottawa Wood Show, 2004 & 2005.
  • Member, Publications Committee, American Assn. of Woodturners, 2005-2014.
  • Member, Bylaws and Policy Committee, American Assn. of Woodturners, 2011-2012
  • Member, Professional Outreach Program Committee, AAW, 2013-2015
  • Advisor to the Editor, American Woodturner, 2009-2010; 2015-2018
  • Member, Nominations Committee, American Assn. Of Woodturners, 2010.
  • Director, American Assn. Of Woodturners, 2010
    (Invited onto Board as replacement for resigning Director)
  • Advisor to AAW Board, 2011 – 2014
  • Exhibition Chair, AAW Professional Outreach Program, 2013 & 2014
  • With Dale Larson, organised the 2024 Bill Luce Collaboration Project and Exhibition.
  • Attended twenty AAW symposia from 2002 to 2026

At 2024 Portland symposium with Rolly Munro, Randy Pi and Paul Fennell.