Art Liestman - Surface Enhanced Woodturning

Bio

As contemporary wood artists push the boundaries of woodturning in many directions, it is a challenge to find one's own niche. I feel that it is essential to look outside of the turned wood field for inspiration. I find it in both music and mathematics, both of which have long been a part of my life. I also find new ideas and directions in more traditional art forms and in the textures and patterns of everyday objects.

I spend my days as a professor in Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. When I leave the halls of academe, I can usually be found turning (and otherwise tormenting) wood in my home studio in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. My involvement in woodworking began with a desire to make experimental musical instruments. Eventually, my instruments needed turned components, so I acquired a lathe. As I gained some experience with the lathe, my passion for turning quickly overtook my other woodworking interests and I began to see myself as primarily a woodturner. Over the years I have increasingly been drawn to the artistic side of woodturning and have given up trying to make functional objects.

As a woodturner, I enjoy working with wood, beginning with a freshly cut “green” log mounted on the lathe and continuing until the turned form has reached its final shape. But this is usually not the end of the process. I generally prefer to enhance the turned object with the addition of carved decorations, incised lines, varying textures, and/or the application of color. These enhancements are done with careful attention to the existing figure in the wood, allowing it to show through in many cases.

Cat Guy with Assistant

Puzzling Illusion Vessel