Idle musings about our medium

Hi Arch

Painting beautiful wood paneling ? that's a shame, something like a new owner of a home that has seen several generations grow up in it, with a beautiful healthy tree out in front, to be cut down over the objections of the neighborhood, just to change the driveways location, and then move 2 or 3 years later. Painting is a good way to prevent weather from destroying outdoor wood, and to enable lower grade wood use in and around the homes and other constructions, it seems also a way of getting more attention by painting burning or some other way of obliterating the good or not so good finish/shape of otherwise not so special turned objects. There are some very nice turnings made in that genre, and than the herd instinct takes over, oh well, have fun and take care.

Leo Van Der Loo

Arch wrote:

Not sure I'm in full agreement. Wandering through the Tretyakov, there were a lot of wooden screens and panels that I felt were improved by the paintings on them.

Leo, Thanks for your thoughts. I was trying to open some thoughtul discussion re whether or not there should be any limitations on the things we turn and embellish out of wood. Perhaps not a very interesting subject to consider here, but I think it relates to woodturning.

George, Thanks for your take. My daughter is a successful artist and she would agree with you. I'm basically on the same page. Some further thoughts on being free to turn and embellish woodturnings?

Chuck, Thanks for your reply and for sharing your remembrance. I meant 'medium' in reference to a material (wood) used for turning objects. Sorry that my questions were not clear. Maybe you just wanted to share a funny story wiith us, but I would be glad of your thoughts re the question of misusing our medium (wood).

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

I am reminded of the famous mystic, Madame Cambium, who was purported to be able to contact the souls of great lignophiles who've gone on before us. Once she was contracted by a woodturner who shall remain nameless, to summon up the shade of one Johnny Appleseed, in an effort to pursuade him to use his influence in the hereafter, thereater and heretofor to grow an apple tree that would produce not sweet, juicy fruit, but stable, non-splitting wood. The story goes that Johnny's soul was offended, consequently the medium was spoken to crossly and not paid, and the disillusioned turner went away with just three initials to show for his troubles....L. D. D.

Jeez, and here I thought I was being funny...

In our modern world, choices of media are rather easy and free. We are not limited to the choices that our forebearers had. So, with more choices comes more opportunity for trial and error, for experimentation and play.

While we think of pots made of clay, the choice of clay, to some extent was due to materials available and practical considerations of durability.

I went through a phase where I only wanted my pieces turned. If I have to get out other tools, I was cheating. Coloring was also a bad thing. Now, I cut, carve and color freely. What I have found is that my desire for self-expression outweighs my need to retain the inherenet qualities of the medium chosen.

Do I paint wooden pieces or furniture? Yes. Do I spend big money on exotics to paint? No.

Leo raises the question of painted paneling. Would I paint the paneling? Wrong question. The correct question is, do I want wooden paneling in the given room? If not, I wouldn't install it in the first place. If it was there before me, I can remove it, which will likely destroy it, or paint over it. That someone made that choice to paint prior to my ownership is their choice. I certainly wouldn't hang wooden paneling just to paint it. I would consider painting paneling in a house that I bought. I don't like paneling because it makes rooms dark and gloomy (my opinion).

Joe Fleming - San Diego

Thanks Alan and Joe for your usual insightful comments.

It hasn't always been so, but it seems to me that most turners are agreed that excepting taste and esthetics, there are no limits on how woodturners use wood.

Maybe so, but does that include uses that might be considered false or even an attempt to deceive? Does our agreement extend to painting faux grain, knots etc. or making fir into pink ivory or applying vinyl imprinted with walnut burl, no matter how artful or beautiful the finished object?

If not, why not?

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

This is an interesting question Arch, what is appropriate in our medium so far as the approach to acquiring a finished piece? Obviously we assume that turning with a lathe is allowable, but then what about coloring, inlay, laminating, carving, and whatever else our active little minds may conceive? Realizing that wood is our principle medium, what about combining it with other media such as dye, paint, raffia, metal, and so on?

Perhaps a "purist" wood turner will insist that only turning is allowed and that the wood must be presented with a maximum of a finish applied. that finish must be one of the clear finishes such as oil or varnish. However, with the vast range of clear to amber finishes available in something as traditional as shellac let alone all the varnishes on the market, every finish chosen is a design alteration.

On the other hand, to be true to the medium could be considered as being true to the medium in its historic context. From the beginning of time or at least of tool making, we have cut, carved and colored wood. It has been glued up, tied together, interwoven, inlaid, laminated and decorated by a myriad of means. Pictures have been burned and painted on it. The Mona Lisa is painted on a slab of wood. According to pictures found on the pyramids we have turning it for at least 3000 years.

The thing is, wood lends itself to a lot of creative expressions by a lot of different means. Some people will decide that an object must be left as turned, sanded and finished. Others will want to carve, pyrograph, paint and so on. The question is not what is true to the medium but rather what is true to the craftsman/artist?

Or, how about reproduction pieces? Making a new pine table into a beat-up "old-looking" table with burning, beating, dents, dings and smudges, for example.

I think Darrell said it right - be true to the craftsperson/artist, but I will extend a bit: Be honest with the purchaser or giftee too. They should have an appreciation for what they have bought/received so that they are not deceived.

Joe Fleming - San Diego