Artist Statement
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On a date night with my husband, what was meant to be a fun activity for a couple turned my life upside down. I fell in love with woodturning immediately. After joining my local AAW woodturning club, I sought out the club experts in bowl making, coring, hollow forms, boxes, carving and embellishment. I spent my days off from the Emergency Department, where I work as a Nurse Practitioner, absorbing all I could from these very generous teachers, including David Ellsworth.
It is not a struggle for me to combine my science brain and my art brain. Muscle memory with an 11 blade has translated to good technique with a skew. Focused attention to detail has made my finishing work much stronger. I am a braver, more focused turner because of my ability to remain calm under pressure in the Emergency Department.
I have only been turning since 2016, but I have gathered a foundation of skills from the best teachers. This allows me to focus on my priorities – how a finished piece feels in my hand, creating strong & balanced shapes, and adding delicate embellishments. These are the markers of my body of work.