Turning Lidded Containers:
The Devil Is In The Details
Lidded Box by Matthew Hill, boxwood, hard maple, and ebony (9" dia. x 4"), 2004
Matthew Hill
June 11 – 15
Lidded containers are the vehicle for this week of technical and creative exploration on and off the lathe. Participants improve their turning skills hand-in-hand with their understanding of the relationship between form and detail. “We will push the limits of our craftsmanship by concentrating on details, which often become our signatures as makers,” says Matthew.
Students develop their eyes for form by sketching on paper, then stretch their turning skills to accomplish what they’ve imagined, right down to inventing their own tools and techniques. Shear scraping, cutting with a hook tool or ring tool, and use of detail gouges and skew chisels are among the detailing techniques Matthew teaches. He also shares surface treatment techniques such as texturing with v-tools, small carving gouges, and Foredom tools, wood burning, and coloring with dye stains, Japan colors, acrylic glazes; and lacquer. Participants are also encouraged to explore the use of handles on their containers.
Matthew Hill turns professionally in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, selling primarily through galleries and invitational shows. A woodworker for more than 20 years, Matthew has pieces in the permanent collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, as well as in most major private collections in the United States. His work may be seen at: www.matthewhillstudio.com