Woodturning is as popular as ever -- a constantly growing segement in the woodworking world and one of the most wide-reaching woodcrafts among artists and hands-on crafters. It’s appeal is based on the short learning curve, the minimal equipment, and the sheer joy of learning to make something out of wood with one’s own hands. But, unlike a lot of crafts that rely on individuality and creative thinking, the initial techniques of woodturning must be mastered. While at first liberating, these same techniques can eventually be confining because in mastering them, one must follow the lead of others. At a certain point, woodturners can feel that mastering the techniques has become the end in itself as they lose sight of their true pursuit: to create one’s own original style. In fact, some woodturners, who believe they aren’t creative enough, will simply continue to master techniques while imitiating the style of others.
Terry Martin, the author of The Creative Woodturner and a woodturning artist, instructor, and photographer for over thirty-years, believes this goes against the fundamental nature of creating and being an artist. There is no “right” or “wrong” and the pursuit of originality should be the goal of every woodturner. Best of all, creativity can be learned and the ability to think and see in one’s own artistic style can be achieved. The Creative Woodturner is not your usual “how-to” woodturning book. It won’t tell you what a chuck is, how to sharpen a scraper, or how to turn a goblet. Instead, this book is a “how-to” for unlocking curiosity, how to break the rules, and for following one’s own artistic path with confidence.
Designed to give readers a wide-persepective on creativity, The Creative Woodturner begins first with insightful commentary, quotes, and examples from the woodturning and art community that will both inspire and inform. In addition, the author shares his Idea Tools: questions to ask during the planning and creative process that are as important to the creation of the woodturning project as any equipment in the shop. Finally, 16 one-of-a-kind projects – from boxes and vessles to bowls and one-of-a-kind scultpures – are featured that will spark the creative mindset of any woodturner.
Each project is documented with instructions and crisp photography highlighting the key steps, techniques, and tasks necessary for completion. In taking the reader through each project, the author pulls back the curtain on his woodturning magic and shares his vision and how the Idea Tools and creative thinking emerges in each project.
An inspiring and enjoyable read not only for woodturners, but for any artist, The Creative Woodturner will anyone to think and see differently so time is spent at the lathe – or whatever creative pursuit it is -- creating the original ideas instead of imitating someone else
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$24.95 $14.97 |
The dovetailthe cabinetmaker's joint for making boxes, cabinets, chests, bureaus, and drawersis the subject of this crafter's companion. A hallmark of fine furniture, this reference lays out, in a straightforward and accessible manner, the efficient and effective methods for cutting full, half-blind, and through dovetails by using hand tools. Upon mastering the basics and gaining an understanding of how this workhorse joint performs, this study introduces the many popular router-drive jigs available on the market today, including the Leigh, Kellar, Omni, WoodRat, Incra, Akita, Sears, and Powermatic jigs. With step-by-step photographs and clear instructions to master the secrets to making a dovetail, this manual is an ideal handbook for anyone wanting to master the secrets to making a dovetail.
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$45.00 $27.00 |
Extensive study of the woodcarving tradition in England. Covers the role of the Crown in the expansion of woodcarving and cites and illustrates much of the finest carving in England. This is an exceptional study of one of the finest woodcarvers in history.
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$40.00 $24.00 |
Bird decoys, which were first fashioned by Native American hunter-artists at least 1,500 years ago, are the only major folk art form to originate in North America. Today, decoys made during the heyday of decoy carving--roughly from 1840 to 1950--rank among the most avidly sought of all folk art collectibles, with some rare and outstanding examples fetching upwards of $8000,000 apiece at auction. These humble hunting tools, intended to deceive wildfowl by luring them into shooters' range, are now appreciated on many levels: as compelling works of sculpture, as exacting portraits of living and extinct species, and as irreplaceable historical objects. Successful decoy carvers of the past knew their prey intimately--spending countless hours observing game birds in the wild and then bringing their accumulated knowledge of different species' appearance and behavior to the carving bench. Because the works these artisans created were meant to attract avian eyes--conveying the essence of a bird's plumage, form, and attitude at a glance--older handmade decoys are deeply observed symbols of living birds that no merely decorative object, no matter how photographically accurate, can match. In this definitive, lavishly illustrated work, folk-art expert Robert Shaw chronicles the now-vanished era in which the great decoy makers pursued their craft. Shaw traces the natural history of North American bird species--more than sixty of which are represented in antique decoys. He relates the history of wildfowl hunting on this continent, detailing the excesses of nineteenth-century commercial hunting and the rise of a conservation movement aimed at ensuring bird species' long-term survival. He examines the distinctive forms produced in each major hunting area, from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Chesapeake Bay to the bayous of Louisiana and beyond. And, with a storyteller's gift for the entertaining anecdote, Shaw puts us in touch with the lives and circumstances of the decoy makers themselves.
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$16.95 $10.17 |
Benjamin designed this work as a practical handbook for architects and carpenters. It was largely responsible for the Greek Revival style which spread throughout the East. This is a basic text for the period and presents designs for windows, columns, fences, vases, balusters, shutters, moldings, staircases, and much more. This was a very influential book in its day.
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$17.95 $10.77 |
Part of the For Pros By Pros series. These are "Tips and Techniques" from the column by the same name in Fine Homebuilding magazine. Over 350 entries of job site gems from the experts. Covers site built tools, roofing, siding, insulation, doors, drywall, trim and finish carpentry, electrical and plumbing, horses, benches and boxes, measuring, marking and laying out.
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$17.95 |
A book of instruction and inspiration that explores design, material, and technique. The foundation stones of woodcarving. Pye offers ten projects that take you through the entire carving process. Carve in relief, in the round, in the realistic style and in the abstract. Discusses drawing, modeling, holding the work, finding ideas, and much more.