While most forms of wood crafting require exact measurements, various joinery techniques, and straight lines and angles, woodturning enters the realm or art expression where free-form shapes and textures are the norm.  Similar to carving, woodturning requires nothing more than a log of wood, imagination, and a wide variety of cutting tools (along with the requisite lathe).  Not an inexpensive craft, it nevertheless is very rewarding in the final beauty of the finished art.

Here is where the wood blank hints at its final shape, representing a limited canvas to the artist.  Attributes, such as burl grain patterns, bark inclusions, worm holes, spalting, natural edges and size reveal themselves during the process of turning the wood on the lathe and carefully cutting away waste wood.  As the wood is turned on the lathe it literally sings as the cutting progresses, changing tone as the wood varies in thickness - in a sense giving the artist an indication of where to continue working.