84 Middleton Road, E8 4LN
I’ve worked with wood for most of my life, at first making and restoring furniture, though not professionally. Some twenty-five years ago, I started wood-turning and I have come to love finding unexpected beauty inside the rough-looking logs that I find, often around the Hackney Marshes, or that friends and kind tree surgeons give me.
The shapes that emerge when turning a new piece need to reflect the irregularities and grain revealed as the turning proceeds, making design an interesting, but occasionally confusing, process! Careful sanding and polishing reveal unique and wonderful grain patterns in the many different woods that I use – from the white of holly, through the orange grain of cherry to the darker browns of walnut and elm.
While I mostly make bowls of varying shapes and sizes, I also turn vases and other ornamental forms, and have recently added tinting and carving to my repertoire.
I can be found on Instagram @TurningwoodHackney
