Chesapeake Woodturners
&
Maryland Federation of Art
“Focal Point”
February 26 - March 28, 2015 "There is drama in the opening of a log — to uncover for the first time the
beauty in the bole, or trunk, of a tree hidden for centuries, waiting to be
given this second life.”
George Nakashima (1905-1990),
Master Woodworker
Welcome!
To the 2015 Bi-Annual Exhibition
Of the Chesapeake Woodturners
At the Circle Gallery, Annapolis
We are delighted to be collaborating once again with our friends at the beautiful
Circle Gallery to bring you a wide range of marvelous turned-wood artwork. Our
members range from weekend hobbyist to professional artist who share a love of
seeing beyond the bark into the heart of the tree, and hoping to do justice to the
beauty and possibility they find there.
We are so very grateful to our judges, Drs. Judy Chernoff and Jeff Bernstein for
your deep understanding and love of turning, as well as for your very fine eye for
perfection. Thank you for your great generosity with us.
And a heartfelt "Thank you" to the staff of Circle Gallery for showcasing our work
in your wonderful space. Thank you for taking great care to display our work to
best effect, and for all your efforts to promote and manage the exhibition. We
thank all of you, especially Sharon Arsenault, Hannah Sturm and Joann
Vaughan.
Enjoy the the Show! Our Judges
Judy Chernoff and Jeff Bernstein are physicians as well as avid craft advocates and
collectors. They have opened their home and shared their extensive collection of wood
art and craft with many interested groups and organizations. Together they co-curated
an exhibition for the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia in 2010 and participated on a
critique panel for the Montgomery County Woodturners in 2011. Judy is currently
serving as President of the Collectors of Wood Art (CWA). She coordinated “Beyond
Boundaries: Wood Art for the 21st Century”, an exhibition at Sculpture Objects
Functional Art & Design Fair (SOFA) in Chicago in November, 2014. In addition, she
was a juror for the American Association of Woodturner's (AAW's) "Rising" exhibition in
Phoenix in June, 2014, and she is a docent at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Jeff is a past President of CWA. He has been a moderator or participant on several
panels relating to wood art and collecting craft at AAW Symposiums, at CWA Forums,
and at SOFA Chicago. In addition, he participated on the AAW Instant Gallery Critique
in Tampa, Florida, in 2013. First Place
Item #25
Artist: Chuck Engstrom
Untitled
Description: Natural edge walnut bowl
Chuck Engstrom’s “Natural Edge Walnut Bowl” succeeds on many levels. Engstrom uses
nature’s offerings to enhance the presentation of this piece of walnut. His thoughtful
consideration of bowl placement within the tree results in three perfectly proportioned layers
within the work. The striking contrast of bark, sapwood, and heartwood calls out from across
the room. On an objective level, the viewer is able to see the anatomy of a tree. Subjectively,
the viewer is able to experience the piece’s pleasing artistic elements. But simply viewing this
piece may not reveal the subtleties that can be best appreciated through tactile examination.
One is a slight surface shift between the bark and the sapwood on the exterior surface of the
bowl. The other is a quiet and restrained foot, barely visible, but fulfilling its purpose of
stabilizing the work without visually detracting from it. This piece is a beauty to behold.
Second Place
Item #21
Artist: Phil Brown
Untitled
Description: Redwood burl
Phil Brown’s “Redwood Burl Bowl” is an exquisitely pleasing form created from a stunning piece
of wood. Brown has masterfully fashioned a bowl that flows effortlessly from the inside to the
outside and from the outside to the inside. He has chosen a burl with its inherently random
disorder and created an object fully ordered. What results is an elegantly lyrical form, rich in
appearance, with both substance and softness.
Third Place
Item #49
Artist: Tim Moore
Title: Basket Weave Pot
Tim Moore’s “Basket Weave Pot”, made from maple, presents an interesting interplay between
several sets of complementary elements. The well-executed form offers both solid and divided
components. Its surface is decorated with pyrography, resulting in dark geometric texturing on
the “woven” aspect and colorless organic texturing on the remainder. The “cut out” portion
carefully reveals that which lies within, i.e. the woven basket. Without a spot light, there is a
certain mystery as to what lies behind the weaving. It appears to be darkness, a vast
nothingness, until a light is placed from above to reveal a glowing internal flame enhancing the
essence of the object itself. And finally, on the foot of the object, the artist has taken the time to
sign his work with a small woven pattern to match that of the vessel. A nice finishing touch.
Honorable Mention
Item #41
Artist: Jordon Kitt
Untitled
Description: Spalted maple open
rim platter
Jordon Kitt’s “Spalted Maple Open Rim Platter” is a noteworthy example of using wood’s
inherent defects to their greatest advantage. In this case, the object becomes much more
interesting precisely because of the imperfections created by nature. It is as if we have found
an artifact, still intact but showing the signs of time and aging. Kitts creates a form which
complements and enhances the visual activity in the wood. Fashioning an overhanging rim
adds flow and interest to the piece. A well done, well executed, and quietly understated work.
Item #60
Artist: Baxter Smith
Title: “Denim”
Description: Oak hollow form, sandblasted and dyed
Baxter Smith’s “Denim” is an oak hollowform, which
has been sandblasted and dyed. The success of a form can be demonstrated when both its
intended orientation and its upsidedown orientation work equally well, and “Denim” achieves
this. Smith uses the techniques of sandblasting and adding dye to accentuate the inherent
grain pattern of the wood. The result is the illusion of an undulating solid vessel. Item #1
Artist: Gene Adcock
Title: “Dome Top Bowl”
Description: Spalted maple bowl,10”D x
5”H with 2” mantle top
Item #2
Artist: Gene Adcock
Title: “Tuck Vase”
Description: Ribbed bead vase, 3”D x 10”H, with dry flower
arrangement
Item #3
Artist: Gene Adcock
Title: “Lily Bowl”
Description: Natural edge cherry burl bowl,
7”D x 4”H
Item #4
Artist: Gene Adcock
Title: “Party Platter”
Description: Spalted maple
serving platter, 13”D x 3”H
Item #5
Artist: Allen Alexopulos
Title: “Etruscan Amphora”
Description: Utilitarian amphora in Norway maple on an
ebony and lignum vitae stand
Item #6
Artist: Allen Alexopulos
Title: Complex Hyperboloid Candlesticks
Description: Cocobolo candlesticks
Item #7
Artist: Allen Alexopulos
Title: “Yew Study II”
Description: Wavy rim natural edge vessel
Item #8
Artist: Allen Alexopulos
Title: Banded Vessel
Description: Open vessel with textured and
dyed band
Item #9
Artist: Doug Bartos
Untitled
Description: Spalted beech bowl
Item #10
Artist: Doug Bartos
Untitled
Description: Sycamore bowl
Item #11
Artist: Doug Bartos
Untitled
Description: Cherry natural edge bowl
Item #12
Artist: Temple Blackwood
Title: “Family Style-Large”
Description: Chinese elm 18”x8”
bowl with oar tongs of cherry
Item #13
Artist: Temple Blackwood
Title: “Naturally Curled”
Description: Cherry burl 12”x6”
natural edge bowl
Item #14
Artist: Temple Blackwood
Untitled
Description: Cherry burl dish, 6”x1”
Item #15
Artist: Temple Blackwood
Untitled
Description: Natural edge cherry form
Item #16
Artist: Jeff Bridges
Untitled
Description: Mahogany platter w/ textured rim
Item #17
Artist: Jeff Bridges
Untitled
Description: Sycamore platter
Item #18
Artist: Jeff Bridges
Untitled
Description: Maple hollow form with brown mallee
insert Item #19
Artist: Phil Brown
Untitled
Description: Curly & spalted
red maple
Item #20
Artist: Phil Brown
Untitled
Description: Spalted Maple
Item #22
Artist: Phil Brown
Untitled
Description: Red Cedar
Item #23
Artist: Penny Clifton
Untitled
Description: Oak bowl, 8”D
Item #24
Artist: Penny Clifton
Untitled
Description: Ash bowl, 5”D
Item #26
Artist: Chuck Engstrom
Untitled
Description: Natural edge maple bowl
Item #27
Artist: Chuck Engstrom
Untitled
Description: Natural edge oak bowl
Item #28
Artist: Rich Foa
Title: “Inside the Mind of a Woodturner”
Description: Cherry, acrylic paint, and various
hardwoods
Item #29
Artist: Rich Foa
Title: “Flowering Purpleheart”
Description: Walnut, oak, purpleheart
Item #30
Artist: Rich Foa
Title: “Viking Flowerpot”
Description: Angelique, antique square nails
and countersinks
Item #31
Artist: Charlie Goedeke
Title: “The Heart of the Matter”
Description: Walnut platter
Item #32
Artist: Charlie Goedeke
Title: “The Old Apple Tree”
Description: Green turned Apple
Item #33
Artist: Charlie Goedeke
Untitled
Description: Natural edge bowl
Item #34
Artist: Chase Hutchinson
Untitled
Description: Black walnut bowl, 11½”
Item #35
Artist: Chase Hutchinson
Title: “Barnacle Bowl”
Description: Maple burl bowl
Item #36
Artist: John Kerr
Title: Walnut Platter #0915
Description: Walnut platter with epoxy
Item #37
Artist: John Kerr
Title: Red Morrel Bowl #1441
Description: Red morrel burl bowl
Item #38
Artist: John Kerr
Title: Oak Bowl #1242
Description: Oak bowl, painted and dyed
Item #39
Artist: Ken Kisling
Untitled
Description: Black walnut bowl,
13½”x3½”
Item #40
Artist: Ken Kisling
Untitled
Description: Natural edge red oak bowl
Item #42
Artist: Ken Lobo
Title: “Moonscapes”
Description: Sapele square form 7”x7”
Item #43
Artist: Ken Lobo
Untitled
Description: Walnut closed form vessel
Item #44
Artist: Margaret Lospinuso
Title: "White Footed Escargot Rex”
Description: A Family Gathering, snail
(Pomacea canaliculata), locust, cherry
Item #45
Artist: Margaret Lospinuso
Title: "Light Upon the Waters”
Description: Carved Candlesticks, beech,
cherry, myrtle
Item #46
Artist: Margaret Lospinuso
Title: "Beechscape with Birds”
Description: Green turned beech plate
Item #47
Artist: Pete Madden
Title: “Bubble Form”
Description: Minimum surface between rings
Item #48
Artist: Tim Moore
Title: Celtic Knot Pot
Item #50
Artist: Tim Moore
Title: Cherry Spiral Vase
Item #51
Artist: Tim Moore
Title: Segmented Vase
Item #52
Artist: Lou Rudinski
Untitled
Description: Mulberry burl vase, natural edge,
walnut stem
Item #53
Artist: Lou Rudinski
Untitled
Description: Mulberry burl goblet, natural edge, walnut
stem
Item #54
Artist: Lou Rudinski
Untitled
Description: Cherry burl natural edge vessel
Item #55
Artist: Lou Rudinski
Untitled
Description: Spalted maple bowl with
bark inclusion
Item #56
Artist: Jeannie Rudinski Ureno
Untitled
Description: Closed form, carved, dye,
pyrography, partially turned by Lou, completed by
Jeannie
Item #57
Artist: Jeannie Rudinski Ureno
Untitled
Description: Wall plaque, turned, carved, dye,
pyrography
Item #58
Artist: Baxter Smith
Title: “Blue Egg”
Description: Oak hollow form, sandblasted and dyed
Item #59
Artist: Baxter Smith
Title: “Green Oak”
Description: Oak hollow form, sandblasted and dyed
Item #61
Artist: Baxter Smith
Title: “Eye of the Flame”
Description: Cherry platter
Item #62
Artist: Mike Twenty
Title: Inspiration Series
Description: Compound stave segmented
vessel
Artist Biographies
Gene Adcock
Gene, Turner of Truro, demonstrates, teaches and submits gallery exhibits to foster a wider
understanding and appreciation of lathe-turning as a traditional and contemporary craft and form
of art. Gene’s portfolio spans the woodturning spectrum from traditional bowls, pepper mills, and
platters to the contemporary art of natural edge creations, hollow forms, and embellished
vessels. A favorite subject is art pieces where Gene adjusts his turnings to the natural features
of the wood so the design features the wood — not the other way around. Juried awards have
been received for composition, allusion, and artistic craftsmanship. Art creations from wet
turnings and spalted wood are an emerging focus of Gene’s portfolio.
Gene is an active member of the American Association of Woodturners, and the Chesapeake
Woodturners. If interested in seeing more of Gene’s wood turned art, furniture and
entertainment pieces, please visit his Facebook page: “turner of truro” or contact him at
[email protected]
Allen Alexopulos
Allen has been creating custom woodturning art in his shop in Annapolis, Maryland since 2001.
Most of his pieces are turned from tree species indigenous to the central Maryland area. Most
of the timbers that he incorporates into his art are recovered from downed trees that would
otherwise be dumped into landfills or burned as firewood. His artistic goal is to highlight as
much of the natural figure, texture and color from the wood as possible. Simple shapes
combined with graceful curvatures amplify the beauty of his turnings.
Although Allen has explored many areas of woodturning, his principal repertoire includes natural
edged vessels, lidded boxes with ornate finials, hollow forms and formal vessels.
Allen has developed turned pieces that are included in the State of Maryland and City of
Annapolis Archives, the on-line Wye Oak Gallery and commercial sites like Teknatool in New
Zealand and Exotic Lumber in Annapolis. Allen’s works can be seen at his LatheScapes web
site (www.lathescapes.com). Allen is a member of the Chesapeake Woodturners, the Maryland
Federation of Art and the American Association of Woodturners. He also teaches several
woodturning courses at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.
Doug Bartos
Doug Bartos is an amateur wood turner and tool junkie living in Columbia, Maryland. He enjoys
turning hollow forms and bowls as well as the occasional pen and bottle stopper. Doug’s first
exposure to woodturning was in junior high school and he loved it immediately, although it was
many years before he was able to turn again. That was when a friend purchased a lathe in the
80’s. Doug says that they chewed away at the wood for a while and had some passable bowls
and platters , but it wasn’t until they came upon the Chesapeake Woodturners at the
woodworking show in Baltimore that their work really started to improve. “Being part of the
group has made all the difference in the world. Being able to take classes from the best
Woodturners in the world is an amazing opportunity and makes woodturning much more fun.”
Doug has continued his relationship with the Chesapeake Woodturners as well as the American
Association of Woodturners and is an active member in both.
Temple Blackwood
Four events beginning in 1968 launched my woodturning career: first, my mother-in-law, Virginia
Lampson, gave me a small table lathe with its single scraping chisel; second, a copy of Peter
Child's book The Craftsman Woodturner (1971) sent me struggling to master the skew chisel;
third, the Woodcraft Corporation catalog arrived, offering high-quality tools well beyond the
choices in our local hardware store; and fourth, a local lumber salesman/designer challenged
me to turn 106 thin, long, pine stair balustrades for a historic restoration job. Steadily since
1973, I have enjoyed a full calendar of turning multiples, matching architectural and furniture
designs in large and small sizes, matching machine parts, pursuing my own artistic visions, and
teaching others the pleasure of “cutting wood the way it likes to be cut” to achieve a pleasing
shape.
As a 38-year career teacher, administrator, and board member in private independent schools, I
shared woodturning and my enthusiasm for the artistic balance of form, shape, texture, color,
and dimension with many middle and high school students and faculty members. Two generous
Educational Opportunity Grants from the American Association of Woodturners made this
especially successful in my more recent school. Similarly, as a charter member of the
Chesapeake Woodturners (founding treasurer and webmaster) and as one who prefers to turn
multiples, spindles, and to use the magic skew chisel above all other tools, I benefitted from
being asked to demonstrate and teach other turners. Teaching and attending club workshops, I
continue to learn and grow from the others who so generously share their skills, discoveries,
and artistic passions.
Now retired from schools to live, teach, and turn full-time in my shop in Maine, I demonstrate
traditional woodturning twice weekly in July and August (called “summer” in Maine) for the public
at the local Wilson Museum in Castine as well as supply turned items and tools to wooden boat
restorers and Maine Maritime Academy students where I also teach writing and communications
as a part-time adjunct. The blend of my passion for turning and my enjoyment in teaching
enhances my commitment to our craft and art. My enthusiasm for woodturning allows me to
learn from each student I teach, and I enjoy participating as a member of both the Maine
Woodturners and the Eastern Maine Woodturners, AAW clubs that while distant are the most
local to my remote location. Having two of my sons seek me out as adults wanting to learn to
turn and their subsequent develop as turning artists brought a wonderful new dimension to our
relationship and family. Now they, like many of my students, surpass me with their talents but
continue to ask my guidance, opinion, and occasional demonstration.
My volunteer service in the national community of woodturners is where I meet and join the
impressive community of woodturner leaders who have been my friends over the years both in
person and through the many publications of the American Association of Woodturners and its
chapters. I contribute regularly to the Highland Woodturner on-line publication, and enjoy
hosting visiting woodturners who come to visit mid-coast Maine. I regularly show my work in
juried gallery shows while sharing with other turning artists new approaches to historically
beautiful designs, unique artistic sculptured pieces as well as commercial production and
restoration architectural turning. With them, I join in the pursuit of the perfect tool, the perfect
design, and the perfect day in the shop turning wood and revealing the artistically pleasing
shapes, form, textures, and colors within.
Here in mid-coastal Castine, Maine, the balance between working deep in the woods,
particularly in the isolation of winter, to find the next perfect tree is as energizing as exploring the
design ideas of a challenging piece of wood spinning on the lathe and stopping to experience
the sensual delight of feeling a well-shaped taper smoothed so amazingly by a sharpened skew
chisel. Using firewood as the primary heat for both shop and home, I find an innate conflict
emerges from discovering far more pieces that call out to be turned than to be burned. The
redeeming reality is that due to the insatiable appetite of my woodstove, there are never any
“mistakes” in my shop.
I began my woodturning journey as a teenager with the specific purpose of wanting to become
“very good” at mastering the skills, craft, and art of this specific medium. Happily I find at this
much later point in life that I continue in that quest learning more and enjoying it more each time
I engage with turning a new piece of wood and interact with another woodturner who is eager to
share his/her latest discovery.
Jeff Bridges
I became interested in woodturning in early 1997 after seeing a woodturning demonstration and
I was completely fascinated by the process. My woodturning experience began in June 1997
during an introductory woodturning workshop at Maryland Hall in Annapolis, MD. I have since
become a member of the American Association of Woodturners and the Chesapeake
Woodturners. I have always had a fascination with all types of wood media, but my main focus
is on woodturning.
I enjoy turning all shapes and forms but my primary interest is in hollow forms, experimenting
not only with hollow forms, but bowls, natural-edge bowls, platters, and many arts & crafts items
such as Christmas ornaments, small bird houses, bottle stoppers, bud vases, pens, and other
miscellaneous craft items. My interests keep expanding as I continue to learn and experiment.
Each piece I create is a handcrafted item and is one of a kind. While some items may appear to
be similar, they all have slight variances due to the nature of the wood and the one-at-a-time
handmade process. I never use live wood in my work as all of my local wood comes from trees
felled by nature or taken down as the result of home development, road construction, etc.
As in all of nature, each piece of wood is different and has its own unique features. As you turn
and shape the wood, these features are slowly revealed, and as you reach that final perfect
form it is a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. However, this feeling only makes
me realize that true perfection is somewhat elusive because there is always so much more to
explore and learn about the characteristics of various woods and the woodturning process itself.
I thoroughly enjoy the time I am able to spend on the lathe. It affords me many hours of peaceful
and challenging creativity. It allows me to be able to shape an ordinary piece of wood into
something of lasting beauty, whether it be a craft item, a functional piece, or an object of wood
art.
Woodturning can be very simple or very complicated depending on the desired objective. Because new ideas, innovations, and techniques emerge every day I do not know where my
craft will take me, but I do know that woodturning is, without a doubt, a very satisfying way for
me to spend my time.
Phil Brown
Phil Brown is known for elegant open form vessels, turned thin with fine finishes. As a child he
enjoyed making objects with wood, and in high school he made furniture for the family. In 1975,
he purchased a lathe and began to teach himself wood turning with the help of a book. Brown
was exhibiting and selling his work by 1980. His knowledge and skills have been enhanced
through workshops organized by Albert LeCoff, annual symposiums of the American Association
of Woodturners (AAW), and demonstrations at Capitol Area Woodturners (CAW), and
Montgomery County Woodturners (MCW). He was an early member of AAW, a founding
member of CAW, the founding president of MCW, and he continues to be active in these
organizations as well as in the James Renwick Alliance and Collectors of Wood Art.
Brown primarily harvests wood from local trees that are being cut down, and often allows the
wood to spalt to enhance its natural patterns. He is inspired by the work of pioneer wood turner
Bob Stocksdale, and by such modern sculptors as Isamu Noguchi, Contantin Brancusi, Barbara
Hepworth, and Wharton Esherick. Brown exhibits his work in juried and invitational shows and
on the internet. His vessels are in six museum collections and many private collections of
turned wood.
Born in 1937 in Denver, Colorado, Brown is an agricultural economist with a BS from Colorado
State University and MS from University of Maryland. He is retired from a career at the US
Department of Agriculture focused on economic research and providing technical assistance to
producers to form marketing cooperatives.
Penny Clifton
I began woodturning in 2013 under the tutelage of Bob Frey in Catonsville. Bob had been
turning art bowls for about thirty years, and I realized what a good opportunity it was for me.
Prior to that time, I had only made a few rather crude Christmas ornaments about thirty years
ago and found it was fun but not rewarding. Fast-forward through raising a family to where I am
now, with time to pursue my interests. I divide my free time between woodturning, quilting, and
antique quilt repair.
Oak bowl, 9”D This is a piece of White Oak that my mentor, Bob Frey, gave me to turn as a natural edge bowl.
After seeing more than half of the bark fly off and realizing the cambium layer was pretty soft, he
shook his head and said “Boy, somebody gave you a rotten piece of wood!” But after doing a
paradigm shift, and accepting it without bark and bolstering the cambium with CA, I decided it
would make a nice piece after all.
Ash bowl, 5”D This was a piece of ‘yard wood’ from my friends Bob and Aldema Cranley in NV. While visiting
them, and turning with Bob in his shop, I tried this piece of variegated ash. I decided to leave
the wall thick to keep the grain intact. It makes a nice catch-all dresser bowl.
Chuck Engstrom
My first exposure to woodworking involved construction of a photographic contact printer under
the guidance of my father. Now some sixty years and many varied projects later, I have put my
focus on woodturning and have displayed my work in almost a dozen venues in Maryland. I've
demonstrated at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery in Washington and for several local clubs,
and most recently curated a Woodworkers' Showcase exhibition for RiverArts Gallery in
Chestertown, on display through February 2015.
My goal is to feature the endless variations of wood in graceful and sometimes functional
shapes with close attention to smooth and fluid lines and patient care in finishing. I am currently
trying to find new ways to enhance my turnings with accents of texture, color, and incorporation
of other materials.
Rich Foa
After a long career in clinical neurology, I entered the world of woodworking and wood art by
spending a year at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, Washington.
I’ve since attended courses at Snow Farm, The John Campbell School, Arrowmont, The
Appalachian Center for Craft of Tennessee Technological University, and around the DC area to
hone my woodturning and woodworking skills. My work has been shown in several juried
exhibitions sponsored by the Maryland Federation of Art, Artful Dimensions Gallery of
Fredericksburg, the Strathmore Mansion in Rockville, MD and the Chesapeake Woodturners. I
continue to do restoration work on wooden boats at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
My current primary creative interest is in combining woodturning and wood sculpture with found
objects. I try to combine fascinating and delightful found items with boat yard scraps and wood
elements of my own creation into assemblages that I hope will evoke a fresh and pleasurable
response from the viewer.
Other artistic interests include the creation of imaginative parodies of tools commonly used not
just by woodworkers and boat builders, but also of tools used by physicians; and the creation of
traditionally turned wooden objects such as bowls, platters and goblets that emphasize the
natural color and grain of different woods or that allow me to paint, texture and carve their
surfaces in unique ways.
Through all of these pursuits, my goals are to find novel perspectives by combining new and old
objects, to explore the natural beauty of wood, and to say something about the joy of creativity.
I try to do it all with a touch of humor. I strongly believe that art should put a smile on the face of
both the creator and the beholder.
Charlie Goedeke
Charlie, or WoodChuck, was born an engineer. He loves using all manner of tools in giving new
life to wood, metal and other materials. The Foxfire series of books and the Whole Earth
Catalog opened his eyes to a world of possibilities in which simple materials could be used to
craft useful and beautiful things. When he purchased a decrepit 200 year old log cabin, he was
ecstatic! So much to do and learn! With Judith (his lovely wife, muse and aesthetic consultant)
he managed to keep the place upright, and turned it into a charming home, in a labor of love
lasting 13 years. In the process, he became a plumber, electrician, cabinetmaker, layer of
foundations, repointer of stone walls, gas line connector, roof window installer, door hanger and,
yes, woodturner.
His affair with turning started innocently enough out of necessity, but caught fire in 1995 when
he studied with David Ellsworth. Now that the Goedekes live in a contemporary house that
stands up all by itself, and as his professional life winds down, he is happily spending more time
turning. And of course, he predictably graduated all the way from from his original cheap and
basic Taiwanese lathe to a recently acquired Stubby. Very cool.
Chesapeake Woodturners provides him with wonderful companionship, interesting and useful
demos, collaborative mentoring and fascinating Master Classes. He is also a proud member of
the American Association of Woodturners and the Collectors of Wood Art.
A media center that he and Judith designed and built was featured in the June 2007 Readers'
Gallery of Fine Woodworking magazine. He serves as chair of this exhibition.
Motto: Wood. Good.
Chase Hutchinson
Chase Hutchinson lives in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and has been turning wood for about
12 years. He was a design engineer at Westinghouse near BWI airport and worked primarily on
land-based radars for 35 years. He now divides his time woodturning, sailing on the Magothy
River, and traveling. He is a member of Chesapeake Woodturners and the American
Association of Woodturners.
He began woodturning in the fall of 2004 by taking a bowl turning class at Woodcraft in Towson.
Later, while surfing the internet, he found out about Chesapeake Woodturners in Annapolis,
joined the club, and took beginning and intermediate turning classes at Maryland Hall for the
Creative Arts in Annapolis. Since then he has attended workshops with world class woodturners
such as Jimmy Clewes, Al Stirt, Cindy Drozda, and Trent Bosch. His work has been exhibited at
Montpelier Mansion in Laurel, Maryland Federation of Art, American Craftworks, Quiet Waters
State Park in Annapolis, and Riverarts in Chestertown.
Woodturning is a never-ending process of learning new techniques. Therefore in the near future,
he plans on attending more workshops, learning to airbrush, piercing, and whatever else
captures his fancy.
John Kerr
My background as a carpenter and my long fascination of working with wood led me to
woodturning, which allows me the opportunity to be uniquely creative with each piece that I
produce. I work primarily with locally harvested domestic woods (I do not cut down trees), and I
prefer to start with full logs that I am generally able to secure from arborists or construction site
clearing contractors. This gives me the opportunity to consider and refine orientation of the
wood and the evolution of form throughout the process of completing each piece, which are very
important factors to me and are hopefully reflected in my work.
Ken Kisling
Ken earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1974. His interest in woodworking and
woodturning began in high school although he concentrated on woodworking and home
remodeling for the following 35 years until he joined the Chesapeake Woodturners in 2009.
Since 2009, Ken’s focus has been mainly woodturning and he enjoys creating both functional
and decorative turned objects.
Ken is also a member of the American Association of Woodturners. He specializes in large
salad bowls (walnut, cherry, maple and oak) as well as pepper mills, platters, wine stoppers and
pens using local wood sources that were targeted mostly for firewood or the local landfill.
Ken has been married for 40 years, has 2 children and 3 grandchildren and thoroughly enjoys
them.
Jordon Kitt
After graduating from High School and moving on to college, I learned that I was not allowed in
the potter’s wheel classes as I was not an art major. Quite by mistake I wandered into the wood
shop, where I was welcomed with open arms. After completing the traditional “class projects” I
asked to learn the lathe.
In this setting we used kiln dried lumber, I soon discovered that I liked finding my own lumber to
work from. I began to seek wood in piles destined to be firewood, before they are split into
smaller pieces. I look for the unusual wood and with strange grain, worm holes and other
features that tell the story of the tree. Using unusual wood allows the bowls to tell the story of
the wood; the growth and the life of the tree.
Ken Lobo
I have been working with wood for over 30 years primarily as a hobby. I concentrated on
making furniture, cabinetry and built-in’s for the home. I have also built ornamental outdoor
structures for the garden. Having been in business for the last 20 years I also had the
opportunity to build several specialty decorative items for my clients.
After my retirement in 2013 I decided to try woodturning. I took a couple of classes to get my
feet wet in this sphere of woodworking. I realized the scope to tax my creativity was enormous. I
had to focus my attention to create objects that were compatible with my skill set and the tools
at my disposal. As recently as October 2014 I had only completed two pieces. Since then I have
completed over a dozen as I am getting more proficient with practice.
In the next while I plan to make some ornamental boxes, platters, vases and vessels. I will like
to include some ornamentation, textures and color to the pieces. I am also interested in doing
some segmented work.
Margaret Lospinuso
I began working with a wood lathe in 1990. I have studied woodturning with a number of noted
turners in classes sponsored by the Chesapeake Woodturners, including Al Stirt, John Jordan,
Bonnie Klein, David Ellsworth, Johannes Michelson, Michelle Holzapfel, Kimberly Winkle and
Dixie Biggs. I am a founding member and former officer of the Chesapeake Woodturners, and
have been on the organizing committee of numerous area shows and demonstrations. My work
has been published in the book 500 Wood Bowls, Bold & Original Designs Blending Tradition &
Innovation (Lark Books, 2004).
I approach woodturning as the process of revealing beauty in shape and form, as symbolizing a
microcosm of life. Woodturning is a subtractive process; each cut is irreversible, and the quality
of the cutting and shaping on the lath reveals, or destroys, beauty. Similarly, a moment of life,
once lived, cannot be relived, and its quality shapes the beauty of the soul.
I turn mostly wood from the Maryland/Virginia area, from trees that were taken out for
construction or because of storm damage (or, as woodturners call it, “roadkill”). It is a joy when I
am able to reveal beauty in this wood, giving new life to the trees that give me my raw materials.
Pete Madden
I am a retired engineer who started wood turning after attending a course at Maryland Hall given
by Joe Dickey 2 years ago. I am interested in the artistic aspect of wood and started by turning
straight bowls and am now looking into painted and carved forms. The piece that I have
submitted is a mathematical shape that is the minimum surface area between the two rings at
the end. It is the shape that a soap bubble would take between the rings. It was inspired by an
article in AAW that showed several mathematical, minimum surface area forms. The material is
spalted maple with a support made from cherry. The piece has been polished and waxed.
Tim Moore
I have always liked to make things and still do. One of my first projects of note was a chess set
I designed and turned while in high school. Ever since then the lathe has held a special
fascination for me. However, my work as a high school mathematics teacher, summertime
carpentry, and raising a family occupied most of my time for many years. When the local school
system eliminated the industrial arts program and sold the equipment, I purchased the same
lathe I had used as a high school student. I was back to woodturning.
I have been fortunate enough to have studied woodturning with David Ellsworth, Bob Rosand,
Cindy Drozda, Al Stirt, Don Derry, and Bill Grumbine. I am a member of Chesapeake
Woodturners and the American Association of Woodturners. Contact me at
[email protected] and visit http://TMwoodturning.com
Today, with my retirement from teaching approaching, I spend as much time as possible
exploring and enjoying the vast world of woodturning.
Lou Rudinski
Lou lives in Millersville Maryland with his wife Jeanne. He began woodturning (at his wife’s
insistence) while convalescing from a series of life threatening operations. Now retired, Lou’s
former job required him to travel much of Anne Arundel County where he often saw wood
destined to be burned or hauled to the land-fill. Lou continues to contact tree removers, saw
mills and woodworkers when wood becomes available. With permission from the landowner,
and calls to several fellow woodturners, a steady supply of prime wood is obtained.
Skill enhancement is of high importance to Lou, he has taken several Master Classes at
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Sponsored by the Maryland Co-Op and the Chesapeake
Woodturners, Lou has attended classes with, Cindy Drozda, Al Stirt, John Benton, David
Ellsworth, Nick Cook, Charles Farrar, Donald Derry, Betty Scarpino and many others.
Lou favors wood that has been insect infested, diseased or weather aged. Several of Lou’s
turnings are enhanced with dyes and carving. Unlike a potter, where material can be added,
wood is removed until a pleasing effect takes place.
Lou has received awards for several pieces in Juried Gallery Shows at Montpelier Mansion in
Laurel, The Federation of Art and Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. You can also find Lou's
vessels displayed through out the north east and places as far away as Texas, Mexico, Japan
and Hawaii. Several specially chosen pieces are donated yearly for fund raising with local
charities.
Lou belongs to the American Association of Woodturners, the Baltimore Area Turners, and is the
Program Chairman for the Chesapeake Woodturners. He can be seen demonstrating
woodturning at many club events through-out the Annapolis Area.
Jeannie Rudinski Ureno
Jeannie has loved art since early childhood, she most enjoyed drawing, sculpting and working
with various paints and dyes.
Several years ago her father asked her to venture into pyrography by working on a turned wood
bowl that had obvious defects. The wood form inspired her to take woodturning lessons at
Maryland Hall, She and her father at times work together, further enhancing their skills. Jeannie
has taken instructional classes with professional woodturners Cindy Drozda, Betty Scarpino and
Dixie Biggs.
Currently Jeannie is enjoying taking a simple turned wood form, enhancing it with intricate
carving, pyrography and use of dye to develop vessels of texture and feel.
Jeannie has received awards from Wood Central, Chesapeake Woodturner Gallery Shows at
The Maryland Federation of Art, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Montpelier Mansion, and
the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge in Laurel Maryland.
Jeannie is a member of the Baltimore Area Woodturners, The Chesapeake Woodturners and
the American Association of Woodturners.
Baxter Smith
Growing up on the rural coast of Maine, I developed a love for spending time both in the woods
and on the water. Wandering our backyard woodlot or those at my grandparent’s farms and
simply admiring the trees, was always a source of pleasure.
My first exposure to woodworking began at an early age with memories of my father working on
our house. That expanded with the opportunity to take “shop” for three years in jr. high. At the
end of our 8th grade year, we were given the opportunity to use a lathe. It didn’t take long to
become hooked.
Over the next 40 years, woodworking was always a hobby but there was never time to turn
anything beyond the occasional tool handle or mallet. With retirement, there was time to
become more creative.
Woodturning allows me the opportunity to combine both those walks in the woods in search of
the dead or fallen tree, and the desire to create something lasting from it. With turning, it may
be functional, attractive or both.
***
Red Oak is one of the more common trees in our area. It often becomes firewood or mulch
when land is cleared or the trees in ones yard get too big. These oak pieces came from a
neighborhood tree that met such a fate. With the use of sandblasting, dyes, or liming wax, the
pronounced open grain can become a highlight.
Mike Twenty
I have been enjoying the craft of woodturning for about eight years. This became a hobby of
mine after retiring early from a profession of woodworking, including cabinet making, house
construction and trimming in high end houses. I needed something to occupy my time and
mind, so I investigated woodturning and got hooked on it. I want to learn everything I can about
it and experiment with new and different aspects of the craft. I have attended many training
classes and observed many demonstrations to obtain the detailed skill of woodturning. The name “Inspiration” came about after seeing my daughter-in-law’s father, who is a master
wood turner in Arizona, work in segmenting and that inspired me to learn this technique
because it was different from anything I had ever done. I explored the internet to learn as much
as I could to develop the technique of segmenting. This particular item is one of several
segmented pieces I have created and each one inspires me to try a different piece. I found my
passion in woodturning and I enjoy every minute I spend creating unique pieces from various
combinations of wood. About
Chesapeake Woodturners
The purpose of Chesapeake Woodturners is to promote woodturning as both a craft and an art
form, to educate its members and the public, to provide a meeting place for local woodturners,
and to share ideas and techniques.
Meetings are held usually on the third Saturday of each month (excluding July). There are
numerous other special workshops and woodturning events throughout the year. Meetings
include member demonstrations; trips to sawmills, museums, and private collections; harvesting
turning blocks; sharing of ideas and techniques; tool trading; and group discussions of topics
from rough cutting to finishing.
Join us, but beware - if you are not already a woodturner, woodturning can become addictive.
The Chesapeake Woodturners (CW) is a local chapter of the American Association of
Woodturners (AAW). The club was formed and certified as a local chapter in February 1992.
Sixteen founding members brought with them a wide range of experience from beginner to
advanced – some with over 20 years of woodturning experience. Our purpose is to expand the
knowledge of woodturning among ourselves and others in our community. CW has grown to
approximately 70 members – mostly from the central Maryland area.
Our membership has a good blend of beginner, intermediate, and advanced turners – some
having gained national recognition. We meet 11 times a year at Maryland Hall in Annapolis or at
the home of one of our members. At these meetings we focus on sharing our experiences and
ideas about woodturning. We try to educate ourselves through discussion and hands-on
demonstrations of techniques by our local membership. We also have had week-long, hands-on
workshops taught by professional woodturners. Many of our members have improved their skills
during workshops taught in Annapolis by internationally known turners such as: Trent Bosch,
Christian Burchard, Jimmy Clewes, Cindy Drozda, David Ellsworth, Clay Foster, Bill Grumbine,
Michelle Holzapfel, Lyle Jamieson, John Jordan, Bonnie Klein, Johannes Michelsen, Liam
O'Neill, Michael Peterson, Bob Rosand, Palmer Sharpless, Al Stirt, chip carver Wayne Barton,
and pyrographer John Noffsinger. Club demonstrations also included presentations by Stuart
Batty, Nancy Bennington, Giles Gilson, and Stoney Lamar.
We share our woodturning enthusiasm with local communities through organized club
exhibitions and demonstrations. The Chesapeake Woodturners has been a host or a participant
in many outreach activities. They include: the Mid-Atlantic Regional Symposium held at
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis; Maryland Federation of Art Gallery Shows in
Annapolis and Baltimore; the International Turning Exchange; Savage Mill Gallery Show; Quiet
Waters Park Gallery Shows in Annapolis; The Woodworking Show in Timonium; and the
Montpelier Mansion Gallery shows and demonstrations in Laurel. Members contributed to the
success of a national show, Turning Since 1930, at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, by
giving turning demonstrations for the gallery guests.
Community projects include donating Christmas ornaments turned by Chesapeake Woodturners
for display at the Government House, the residence of the Governor of Maryland, during the
holiday season. The ornaments were turned from native Maryland hardwoods including black
walnut, spalted beech, holly, box elder, and oak. CW also donated turned stamp handles to be
used in the souvenir passport documentation for the year-long Celebration of Annapolis. The
stamps were used to help commemorate the 350th anniversary of the founding of Annapolis.
CW has demonstrated turning techniques during Earth Day activities at Quiet Waters Park and
members have also constructed birdhouse kits for the special day.
For those interested in woodturning classes held at Maryland Hall, contact Maryland Hall at
http://www.mdhallarts.org/ or call 410-263-5544. Youth, basic, intermediate, and advanced
classes are available throughout the year.