February Meeting
President Mike Hatfield warmly welcomed everyone to our first monthly meeting of 2025, held on February 10th at the Melville Woodturners Hall in Kardinya. He shared that the committee is enthusiastically planning a variety of workshops, site visits, and engaging speakers for the year ahead.
He also welcomed Tania Emmerson and Ian Moss, both winners at the 2024 Out of the Woods Exhibition, and thanked them for offering to give presentations on their winning entries.
We are pleased to welcome new members Rebecca Boyland, Chris Stewart, and Barrie Knop.
Tania Emmerson - Embellished Woodturning
Tania Emmerson, the winner of the Embellished Woodturning category at the 2024 Out of The Woods Exhibition, shared her inspiring woodturning journey and the techniques she has mastered along the way.
Despite being an active woodturner for only four years, Tania has developed a passion for working with unique types of wood, especially those that are cracked, gnarled, or knotted. She recounted a memorable project where she used keys from an abandoned piano. Tania incorporates carving, painting, and other artistic touches to embellish her creations. Her winning piece, "The Rose," featured numerous rose thorns collected from her own and her neighbours’ gardens.
She also emphasised the importance and value of attending courses and collaborating with other woodturners to improve her skills and knowledge.
Throughout her talk, Tania highlighted the creative and artistic side of woodturning, turning it from a simple craft into a true art form.
Ian Moss - Plain Woodturning
Ian Moss, the winner of the Plain Woodturning category at the 2024 Out of The Woods Exhibition, shared his 20-year journey in woodturning. With a background as a metal work lecturer at TAFE, Ian eventually gravitated towards woodturning.
He described various techniques and projects, including hollow forms, platters, and embellished pieces. Ian has a particular preference for finial turning, and his favourite timber is York Gum burl.
Ian spoke about the beauty and unpredictability of timber, sharing his experiences with different types of wood and tools, practical tips on handling and finishing, the many mistakes he made, and how he fixed or repurposed them.
He also discussed the influence of renowned woodturners Cindy Drozda and Jack de Vos on his work and highlighted the differences between woodturners and artists.
Carolyn and Harry discussed the upcoming Kumiko Box Making workshop in April at Dwellingup, showcasing a couple of prototypes of the boxes that will be made during the workshop.
Behind the scenes, Carolyn, Harry, Ian, Allan, and Kevin (aka the Dream Team) have been working tirelessly to prepare for the workshop. According to a reliable source, there's been more tea and coffee drinking than woodworking—apparently, coffee is the secret ingredient to crafting perfection!
Jokes aside, there's a ton of work that goes into preparing and running these workshops. We are very grateful for their dedication and efforts!