April 2, 2016 (9:00am to 1:00pm)
Mann Tool & Supply, 802 Chris Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169
This month, Palmetto Woodturners presents two of its own members:
Hal Taylor
http://www.greenwoodturnings.com/
About the Artist
Hal has worked with wood since he was in elementary school. On seeing a TV program about woodturning about ten years ago, he was hooked. Since that time he has studied with Trent Bosch, Clay Foster, Andi Wolfe, Binh Pho, and JPaul Fennell all of whom like to work "outside the box".
Although not a trained artist, Hal likes to enhance turned pieces with color, carving, pyrography, and piercing.
Hal Taylor is an emeritus laboratory geneticist of Greenwood Genetic Center and is the former laboratory director.
Handouts/Resources
Pat Harris
http://patharris.artistgalleryonline.com/
About the Artist / Artist Statement
My early exposure to working with wood was helping my Dad with projects and house repairs while in elementary school. Developing my skills and expressing my creativity has been and ongoing challenge ever since. Learning to use hand tools and power tools correctly to accomplish a task always involves a learning curve and sometimes it is longer with some tools than others..
When my wife and I purchased our first home, I now had a place to set up shop and begin acquiring the tools I felt needed to do basic woodworking and cabinetry, so I began with basic hand tools, and then added my first saw. (a radial arm saw) and from then on out the need and list of tools has grown as has my skill levels. After building bookcases, cedar chest jewelry boxes, magazine racks, rocking horses, etc. for the wife and daughter, I saw a lathe demonstration and begin a new quest to become a "Wood Turner". Woodturning has opened up so many new dimensions for woodworking for me and increased my appetite for wood that I could find and recycle or re-propose. Now, my wife asks me "How much more wood are you going to bring home?" Well, . . . don't have an answer as it is so very hard to turn down wood, especially if you are low on that species or there is something you think may be special about that piece. So much of the reclaimed wood has interesting stories that accompany it, like that it was the oldest tree on the Home Place, or that so and so's great great grandfather's father planted that tree and part of my house was made from it. A tradition among Woodturners is that we make something from the wood that is given to us and return it to the giver. How neat is that? Many of my customers have come from making a memento from a piece of wood that held a special significance to them or their families. This kind of work is very gratifying and knowing the recipients will cherish what I made for them and it will be passed down heirs and held for generations.
I love working with wood. The various odors, colors, textures are very satisfying to work with and, wood is forgiving in repairing mistakes and there is an abundance of it even though wood continues to increase in cost. But there is a lot of our American trees eliminated by storms or otherwise and I for one plan to keep reclaiming it, doing the best work I can to give it new life and placing my work in homes to be admired and used.
A bit more about me: I am Christian, happily married going on 46 yrs. father of a beautiful daughter and love animals and have three Shetland Sheepdogs. I am an active member of the American Association of Woodturners, and Palmetto Woodturners Chapter.
Handouts/Resources