Wood
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My woodturning career began in 1999, following an 18-year career in accounting. Having long been an admirer of artistic forms and a lover of the natural beauty found in wood, I found my true passion when I discovered woodturning. The inspiration for my work comes from a desire to create an illusion that inspires not only a feeling of wonder, but also a magical interaction of emotion between artist and viewer. My love for the material; my reverence for the natural beauty of the wood, is given. With each piece, my overwhelming priority is to design the form to respect the wood and best showcase its unique characteristics and grain patterns. I love the elliptical shape which is a constant in my work. The elliptical form is quite tactile and soothing to hold while I am carving. But moreover, it creates a bit of mystery as to how the piece was made. With the elliptical form, I work with simple curves to imply movement and to create a relationship between the positive and negative space in the turned and carved wood. The design elements incorporate areas that are carved away and areas that are relieved to form edges that catch the light creating a dance of shadows that lead the eye around the work. While I consistently use the elliptical shape as a starting point, I change the other elements of the work to accentuate the wood and transform my sculptures in a variety of ways for an ever-evolving body of work. Juried Exhibitions: “Wood in Basic Black”, Invitational Exhibition, American Association of Woodturners, SOFA Chicago; 2007 “Turning Green”: International Juried Exhibition, Oregon College of Art and Craft, Portland, OR; American Association of Woodturners Gallery, St. Paul, MN; 2007 “Out of the Woodshed and Into the Parlor”, Juried Exhibition, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY; 2006 “The Turned Wood Show”, Invitational Exhibition, Art Resources Gallery, St. Paul, MN; 2003 “Put a Lid on It”: International Juried Exhibition, The Brand Library and Gallery, Glendale, CA; 2003 “Nature Takes A Turn”: International Juried Exhibition; The Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, MN; The University of California at Davis, CA; The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN; The University of New York, Purchase, NY. 2001-2002 American Craft Council Southeast Region Annual Juried Exhibition, Spotlight 2001, The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Gatlinburg, TN; 2001 |
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Mary McKinney
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