Wood Turning Exhibit

By Don Webster

Dates: Friday 7th April 2023 to Sunday 16th April 2023
Times: Open daily 10am-4pm
Artist Guided Tour: Saturday 8th April 2023, 2pm-3pm
Place: Silver Birch Gallery, The Rockfield Centre
Age: All ages
Cost: Free

Wood turning exhibit

Don Webster presents an exhibit sharing the fascinating process of woodturning, alongside a guided tour and introduction to the craft.

The woodturnings featured cover a range of techniques, achieved through ‘green turning’ (a form of wood craft that works with unseasoned or ‘green’ woods). All the pieces featured have been turned from logs of native hardwoods, sourced from the artist’s friends, neighbours and empathetic tree surgeons. Species turned include beech, ash, cherry, apple, crab apple, walnut, hornbeam, whitebeam, birch, holly, sycamore, yew, and laburnum.

The size and condition of the sourced logs influences the resulting shapes, allowing for the artist to reveal the unique and beautiful qualities of each species. It is principle to his approach to retain and reveal features such as grain, colour, bark, voids, burls and spalting.

In some instances, the artist applies dyes or uses the Japanese shou sugi ban technique (scorching the wood and brushing away the char to enhance the grain), or carves the exterior of the piece.

This exhibit includes a range of pieces, both functional and decorative, alongside information from the artist on the techniques involved.

Guided Tour

In the associated talk and demonstration, the artist will conduct a tour of the exhibits and—using the lathe and turning tools—explain how the various shapes are produced. 

Don Webster will deliver a talk on Woodturning Bowls, Vessels and Hollow-Forms and will address the following:

  • Introduction and overview of health and safety

  • Personal Objectives

  • Matching the Lathe and Tools to the Objectives

  • Wood, Wood Orientation, and Green Turning

  • Turning Bowls, the Basics

  • Turning Hollow-Forms, the Basics

  • Finishing & Decoration

  • Q&A

Don Webster

Don Webster is a retired engineer, based in Ganavan. He has a life-long affinity for wood and wood art, having observed wooden dhows being built on the beach in the Emirates, colonial-style furniture being fashioned at the roadside in Sri Lanka, and teak figurines being carved in Bali—all with traditional hand tools—through his career overseas. Since retiring, he has devoted his spare time to developing his skills in woodturning and wood art.

As a nature-lover and keen conservationist, Don is averse to using imported timber, or using epoxy in combination with wood. Instead, he works with ethically-sourced native timbers donated by friends, neighbours and local tree surgeons with an empathy for wood crafts.