Visiting Artists
August-September 2023
North Florida Woodturners
NORTH FLORIDA WOODTURNERS is a woodturning club that promotes and encourages the art of woodturning. The club is an affiliate chapter of the American Association of Woodturners(AAW). You are invited to attend, join, and get involved if you are interested in woodturning. Annual dues are $35.00 for individuals and $50.00 for family memberships, which includes a monthly newsletter and instruction with experienced and/or renowned woodturners. The club also makes available wood, and some woodturning supplies at a savings.
Club meetings are held at 6:30 pm on the first Tuesday of each month at Godby High School.
Ken Roux – I have been turning wood since 1995. In addition to turning traditional bowls, platters, vases, and lidded vessels, I take inspiration from other art forms such as pottery, art glass and sculpture. A variety of domestic and exotic woods are used in my creations. I use the same woodturning skills and tools to lathe-turn soft stone such as alabaster and jet.
Larry Young – A retired engineering manager, Larry was introduced to wood turning during his teenage years by his father, a journeyman carpenter. After an extended absence from turning, Larry returned to the hobby as he approached retirement, in 1976. His experience includes making bowls, Christmas decorations, candle stands, tops, whistles, eggs, pens, boxes, furniture legs, and other items of interest. Larry is the owner/contributor to items offered at craft fairs and online by LJ’s Handmade Wood Creations.
Walt Wager – I am a member of the gallery as well as president of the North Florida Woodturners. I started woodturning in 2002 after seeing a woodturner at a local art show. What I love about woodturning is that it is a creative, problem-solving process. Every piece of wood is different and requires a variety of techniques to form and finish. I mostly use regional woods from the southern U.S., including cherry, camphor, magnolia, maple, palm, and sycamore.
Glen Sponholtz – Boy Scouts introduced me to turning and I then began again after retirement I like turning a variety of forms especially on interesting wood. Carving and other forms of enhancement are used on many pieces. North Florida Woodturners is my club along with membership in American Association of Woodturners. If this exhibit interests you, come and join us for stimulating discussions and creative pursuit (www.n-fl-woodturners.org).
Tom Kenny – I began my woodturning journey in 2001 after buying my first lathe and learning how to use it. by reading magazine articles, internet posts, and mostly trial and error. A year or two later I joined the North Florida Woodturners. I get inspiration from the many amazing artists I meet in person and online via demonstrations, workshops, and symposia. Using a variety of mostly locally sourced woods, I’ve turned a variety of pieces including bowls, platters, pens, and hollow forms. Initially, I thought it was sinful to add paint or color that would obscure the natural beauty of the wood. Now I often think of wood as a canvas to be embellished with color and texture.
Ed Bowman – I have been turning since 2013. My wife inherited a lathe, and we took a couple of turning courses at King Arthur’s Studio with Walt Wager. I have also taken courses on turning bowls, goblets, and doing segmented turning at John C. Campbell Folk School in NC. Wood turning is one of my most enjoyable activities in retirement. I have turned pens, bowls, seam rippers, goblets, lidded boxes, tops, and Christmas ornaments. I use regional woods from me and my neighbors’ properties, and some woods given to me by others.