briankarl

 Biography

Born, raised and an entire life of working with wood in the lower mainland, British Columbia eventually led to my love of woodturning. My father ,grandfather and uncles all worked in the construction industry and have made considerable contributions to the province's architetural landscape. My introduction to woodworking began early and following in their footsteps ,I apprentced as a carpenter ,then spent many years working in high-rise construction ,both residential and commercial. I was owner and operator of a cabinet and millwork shop for 25 years where my craftmanship was further refined . My wife Lorelle and I married in 1962 ,and have two children and four beautiful grand children . We have lived in the Faser Valley in B.C. since 1973.

Statement

Woodturning began as a hobby when I retired in 2005 ,using a lathe my son built for me in high school metal work shop 25 years ago. I turned candlesticks, small bowls and pens . I was soon hooked so it wasn't long before I moved up to a bigger better lathe and started turning larger bowls and stave vases . When I started segmented and open segmehted turning ,I found I needed many jigs and supports ,which I built in my shop. One of the gifts of segmented turning is being able to use the smallest pieces of wood, thus eliminating waste .I work with many different types of wood ,but primaily found wood given to me by friends and family. This makes the experience and the resulting work even more meaningfull. I really enjoy creating different drsigns and patterns and love the rich colour and feel of the different woods and the crestions from each piece. Woodturning allows me to not only create both practical and beautiful products, but allows me to explore the appearance ,sensation and texture of the wood. My wish is for others to have the same experience. My goal now is to have my woodturing become worthy of display in a gallery,and ultimately,become a part of peoples homes. working with wood has been an integral part of my life but WOODTURNING has become a passion and is something that I find immensely satisfying and want to share with others.