Artist Statement
It's a matter of feeling my way inside the wood with my mind. I notice the high spots and wormholes, imagine the texture, how the pattern of grain runs, and where the bark will best leave a balanced natural edge. Taken from the Missouri Ozarks around my home, I have my pick of oak, maple, box elder, walnut, and sycamore. |
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As the lathe turns and the chisel slings off ribbons of wood, a thrill runs through me. I follow the colors and patterns rising out of the grain, for it is nature, not I, that decides the shape of the piece. |
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Next, I inlay my signature mixture of crushed, semiprecious stones -- lapis, turquoise, or malachite -- into the natural holes and cracks of a piece. I sand this down until the colored accents seem to grow right out of wood. |
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In the end, each piece soaks in a special oil mixture, dries, and is re-dipped four more times. After that, I buff it with rouge - the same polish used for gold and silver - and then a final layer of wax. As much as I love creating each sculptured turning, my real joy comes when I bring one out of the studio, signed and numbered, and place it in your hands. When you stand there, caressing the satin-smooth curve of wood, which feels warm and soft as a baby's skin, an your face lights up with a smile. |
Unique Turnings
13858 State Highway Y
Cassville, MO. 65625
Email: jerrcrowe@outlook.com
Phone: 417-847-2742
© Copyright 2005 Unique Turnings. All rights reserved.