KenV
Member
Both get little respect --
and neither tend to ask for respect ---
I was at the Desert Woodturners Roundup last weekend. There were three who submitted pens to be shown in the instant gallery. Don Ward (as a presenter at the symposium) was one of those. I was one. I saw many people with display cases of pens during the proceedings, and some were very nice pens -- but they were not on display.
The gallery critique was by Christian Buchard, Betty Scarpino and John Lea. John picked one of the pens to be included in the critique (John turns pens) but the discussion by John was almost apologetic. The pen was a celtic knot Cambridge - very nicely done. It was my interpertation of the silence from Christian and Betty that pen turning was not an intererest (bastard step child metaphor perhaps).
The good news -- This was the first year to have a pen turning rotation and Don Ward did very well. I heard lots of positive comments in talking to other turners.
There was an "underorganized" gathering of penturning on Friday evening that was well attended. Don did a presentation on turning between centers and George Butcher discussed his approach to a thick CA finish on his pens. Good general discussion and opportunities to turn freedom pens for those intersted in making a lathe work.
So -- how can we better share our passion for this aspect of turning if we are not prepared to highlight and display our efforts in the wider turning community -- and move to a point where pens are seen as a vital part of the woodturning community??? What action can we each take to gain some respect and move away from being in the same group as the banjo players.....
and neither tend to ask for respect ---
I was at the Desert Woodturners Roundup last weekend. There were three who submitted pens to be shown in the instant gallery. Don Ward (as a presenter at the symposium) was one of those. I was one. I saw many people with display cases of pens during the proceedings, and some were very nice pens -- but they were not on display.
The gallery critique was by Christian Buchard, Betty Scarpino and John Lea. John picked one of the pens to be included in the critique (John turns pens) but the discussion by John was almost apologetic. The pen was a celtic knot Cambridge - very nicely done. It was my interpertation of the silence from Christian and Betty that pen turning was not an intererest (bastard step child metaphor perhaps).
The good news -- This was the first year to have a pen turning rotation and Don Ward did very well. I heard lots of positive comments in talking to other turners.
There was an "underorganized" gathering of penturning on Friday evening that was well attended. Don did a presentation on turning between centers and George Butcher discussed his approach to a thick CA finish on his pens. Good general discussion and opportunities to turn freedom pens for those intersted in making a lathe work.
So -- how can we better share our passion for this aspect of turning if we are not prepared to highlight and display our efforts in the wider turning community -- and move to a point where pens are seen as a vital part of the woodturning community??? What action can we each take to gain some respect and move away from being in the same group as the banjo players.....