• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Turning for Profit | Woodturning | Lathe |

Helping woodturners make more money

  • Blog
  • Projects
    • Library
      • Turned Bowls
      • Christmas Projects
  • Inspiration
  • Make Money
  • Woodturning Techniques
  • Workshop Expertise
    • Splinters
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Projects
    • Library
      • Turned Bowls
      • Christmas Projects
  • Inspiration
  • Make Money
  • Woodturning Techniques
  • Workshop Expertise
    • Splinters
  • Shop
You are here: Home / Inspiration / Book Review: The Creative Woodturner
creative woodturner book review

Book Review: The Creative Woodturner

By //  by Robin 1 Comment

divider
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks.

Wood on lathe and a creative wood turned bowl

I am inspired by a quote from Pablo Picasso, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” In my woodturning I think I’m mostly at the “learn the rules” stage rather than being a creative woodturner. But every once in a while I try something different and am usually quite pleased with the result. I’ll be honest I don’t break the rules very much. However that could be changing!

 

 

This was one of my birthday presents. My wife gave me “The Creative Woodturner” by Terry Martin. The goal of the book is to inspire you to develop your own personal woodturning style. It is more about the process that Terry went through than the end results that he achieved.

Terry Martin a Wood Artist

Terry is a woodturner from Australia. This is his web site: http://terrymartinwoodartist.com. However Terry is often called a wood artist. I would have to agree as we follow his creative process in this book. His introduction includes many good quotes but I really like this one. “There’s no correlation between creativity and equipment ownership” by Hugh MacLeod. That is certainly true in my case. I am just beginning to explore the possibilities on my lathe. My drill press and table saw are strictly utilitarian. I’ve been “creative” in getting them to do what I want but I have not been specifically creative with them. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.

creative woodturner book review

Techniques and Ideas

So let’s move on with Terry. He uses his lathe and tools in creative ways making him a creative woodturner. One of his first examples is how do you use a bowl gouge to cut the outside of a bowl? All of my turning books have the flute of the bowl gouge facing up. Terry gets a finer cut by turning the gouge over and is cutting upside down. I’m going to have to try this one but Terry says it gives a finer cut. He is still resting on the bevel of the tool on the wood but it is just a completely different presentation than what I am used to.

He uses questions to help him approach turnings from a different perspective. The two that struck me were: “Don’t Ask What, Ask Why” and “What If…?” These still sound strange to me but I am trying them on for size. He has other questions as well. These questions help you think outside of the traditional box or should I say bowl!

Terry’s “Turning” Projects

So how does Terry turn his projects? There are 16 projects in the book. Typical of turning books Terry does share his methods of turning, chucking, and working with the wood. So there are lots of useful ideas here on technique.

The first one is a bowl. Nice and easy. But Terry shapes the bowl with an extended rim and then proceeds to use a grinder to take most of the rim away leaving the bowl with handles! This is also the way that the English turner, Robin Wood, turns handled oatmeal bowls (porringer bowls) on a pole lathe.

The next few projects could still be called bowls but there is more happening with the grinder and other tools. The one called “Impossiblbowl” is striking to me. I love the look of the bowl and it was nice that he explained the turning method in the book. It was one of those obvious answers that are obvious once you’ve been told!

creative woodturning Impossibowl

The remaining projects, except the last one, all include turned sections however the amount of turning is decreasing in each project until there is no “turning” done on the last project in the book. The piece is held on the lathe but all the work is done with grinders and sand paper. Terry says, “It seems the most creative thing I ever did as a turner was not turn on the lathe.”

Terry’s Progression

He moves from the traditional idea of turning to different shapes and structures resulting in the end with no turning at all. As he would say he is not a woodturner but a wood artist. It is inspirational to walk with Terry through these projects as he shares his thought process in trying to set himself free in his artistry. It is the process that is inspiring not necessarily the projects. I hope to try a couple of his techniques as I mull over his ideas and concepts of creativity and woodturning.  Here’s a bit of creativity on my part.

creative woodtuner hawthorn box

The Creative Woodturner; Book Review Summary

This is a great book for expanding your horizons as you consider woodturning as your profession. It is not about mastering technique, or reproducing specific projects. It is an exploration of one person’s journey of discovery. This book does an excellent job of recording that journey for Terry Martin. I give it a score of 5 out of 5.

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: book review, inspiration, production of artisan work, wood turning

Related Posts:

You may also be interested in these posts:
Christmas Projects Title

Christmas Ornaments: Build Your Inventory Fast

Before you start teaching woodturning to children ask yourself 3 important questions

Teaching woodturning to children – 3 preliminary questions

Finding Birch for Woodturning Projects

Finding Birch for Woodturning Projects For the Local Market

5 Lessons I Learned from Mark Twain about Woodturning

Garden: 5 Turning Projects for the Garden

5 Wood Turning Projects for the Garden

Prepare Your Shop - turning tools

5 Tips to Prepare Your Shop for Action

Previous Post: « wooden key chain finished Wooden Key Chain Project
Next Post: Which Honey Dipper Shape is Best? honey dipper title »

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Gifts for Woodturners - 24 Inspiring Ideas - Turning for Profit says:
    December 9, 2016 at 10:59 am

    […] This book is very encouraging and inspiring for beginning and advanced turners.  I also reviewed this book a little while […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA
Refresh

*

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

About me:

Welcome to the Turning For Profit Community! I'm Robin. Turning for Profit is about helping you find hope and joy in your woodturning hobby. It's about projects that fill your inventory and inspire your creativity. It's business help to get you set up and making a profit quickly. If you've always wanted to work from home playing with wood, let me help you realize your dream of Turning for Profit. Read More…

Help for Beginner Woodturners

Learn to use 5 different wood turning tools, with confidence, while you turn 7 projects, building your wood turning skills sequentially.  Includes tips and ideas for marketing your wood turning, when you are ready to move forward.


Footer

Inspiration:

You don’t have to be good to start.  You just have to START to be good. — Joe Sabah

Handmade with Care Stamp

7 Gifts for Men Made on the Lathe

7 Gifts for Men Made on the Lathe
Christmas Projects Title

Christmas Ornaments: Build Your Inventory Fast

Christmas Ornaments: Build Your Inventory Fast
Finished Niddy Noddy with yarn.

Niddy Noddy – A Woodturning Project

Niddy Noddy – A Woodturning Project
  • Start Here
  • About me
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclosure

Site Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · Mai Lifestyle Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in