Guest Chat :: Betty Scarpino :: November 19, 2009

CHATROOM

chat log "Awakening the Artist Within" a Special Guest Chat with BETTY SCARPINO Turning Artist, Editor with host Ellis Walentine Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:30 pm EST "DISOBEDIENT CURRENTS," 2008 COLLECTION OF JUDY & JEFF BERNSTEIN CLICK HERE to read more about Betty.
Ellis	Welcome everybody. We're pleased and honored to have as our special guest tonight, Betty Scarpino, well-known woodturning artist and the editor of American Woodturner magazine. Betty, thanks for being here.
Betty	I'm happy to join every for what I hope is a lively chat.
dick_gerard	go for it, Betty
Ellis	I'm sure it will be. This looks like a lively bunch.
Betty	Thanks, Dick.
Sharon_D	Thank you, Betty.
Ellis	Tonight's chat is about the creative process and finding our own voice in our work. Betty plans to draw on some of the ideas expressed in Peter London's book, No More Secondhand Art, Awakening the Artist Within. I know that my inner artist could stand to be awakened once in a while. :-) Betty, what do you consider the essential message of London's book and how does it apply to woodturners?
Betty	I'd like to start by asking everyone what they liked about this book rather than state my opinions.
Lan_B	have not read it
Sharon_D	Unfortunately, my copy has not arrived yet . . .
Cyril_Griesbach	Me either.
Jeff_W	I have to admit. I have not seen it.
Doc_Green	nor me
Dick_H	Have not read it.
Betty	Okay, one of the author's comments is "The things we make are signs of the things we are, seismographs of our internal state of affairs. What do the things you make reveal about yourself to others?
Ellis	I have done a speed read on it, Betty, and found a lot of interesting exercises for stimulating the creative juices.
Betty	How about this? Can art be taught?
Carole_Valentine	I'm not sure any of my turnings reveal any of myself to others...maybe I would have to ask them.
Lan_B	It reveals I don't like glossy finishes
Sharon_D	I think methods of tapping in can be taught. Good design can be taught.
Doc_Green	Technique can be taught.
Lan_B	The craft is taught, art is imagined
JohnV	I think art can be taught in the same way critical thinking can be taught
Jeff_W	Betty, I think I'm proof art can not be taught. Maybe like Sharon and Doc said.... Design and technique can be.
Ellis	Good questions, Betty. I agree with Carole about what others see in my work. I hope they see all the sensitivities I try to put into ti.
Carole_Valentine	Techniques can be taught, and to some extent the ability to "see" or imagine, but I think there has to be some inate ability.
frog21	Technical aspects can be taught, the rest evolves
Betty	When I teach, say at Arrowmont, I do my best to set the atmosphere for students to discover. Jeff, I'd bet that you'll discover lots in an atmosphere like that.
JohnV	It is in most of us, but it may need teaching (guidance) to flourish
Betty	John, in what way is critical thinking taught?
Don_Orr	I think art can be taught to some extent. Then the limits of genuine talent or lack of it can hinder further progress. I art couls be easily taught, there would be a lot more artists-IMHO.
Sharon_D	But I think the whole creative process is like standing under a waterfall.
Betty	I think there would be more artists if our society supported artists. Many of us are creative.
Sharon_D	The more one makes themself available to the water, the more there is
Sharon_D	I think it's like peeling an onion.
Sharon_D	So true, Betty.
Jeff_W	Do you think creativity is art?
Ellis	Don, I think that part of London's insight is that there are ways to change the way we look at things and come up with creative ideas.
Doc_Green	Sharon, . . . onion . . . go on . .
Sharon_D	Well, I think it's a process of discovery.
Sharon_D	Being willing to take risks and see where the journey goes
dick_gerard	I think that the author was saying, in part, that we have to invest part of our true selves in our work. And that is a scary thing for many people, because if your work is not accepted, you could see it as a personal rejection ... and no one likes to have their selves rejected.
Don_Orr	That sounds good Ellis. We do need to be open to ideas and opportunites around us.
Betty	Jeff, I think a person is creating when they are making art, but as for being "creative" in the sense that it's talked about many times, probably doesn't necessarily have much to do with connecting with making.
Lan_B	true Dick
Cyril_Griesbach	Good point, Dick
Ruth	Betty, how do you think society can support the arts more?
Betty	Dick, good point. Fear plays a huge role in what we are willing to express when making things.
Jeff_W	Betty, I agree. I don't think of myself as artistic but I do believe I am creative.
Carole_Valentine	Dick...I think you hit "one" of the nails on the head...so many of us imagine things but are afraid to try and execute them..."What will people thingk? That I am nuts?" LOL
JohnV	The ability of the brain to percieve art is inherent; the ability to produce takes learning skills and techniques in the medium chosen.
Lan_B	Does Fear control your work?
Betty	Ruth, I think we can all help in small ways, by being supportive emotionally with each other and by buying art ourselves, even in small ways. I bought a pair of earrings from Judy Ditmer last week.
Carole_Valentine	When it could physically hurt me, yes, Lan! :)
dick_gerard	And yet the rfecognized great artists (painters for example) like Chagall, Picasso, Van Gogh, put it all on the line ... inner demons and all
Betty	Lan, are you asking me if fear controls my work? Well, only in the sense that I'm fearful of not having money, paying my mortgage, then I'm more motivated to make things!
Dick_H	I don't put much stock in what people think. I do what I do and I like it.
Jeff_W	If fear controlled my work I would not be turning.
Betty	John, yes, we need skills and techniques and that gets to the craft of what we all do.
Doc_Green	I think I'm a pretty good technician, but not much of an artist.
Ruth	I think what Carole said about "what will people think" is what rules too many people in too many aspects of their lives...........art most of all.
Sharon_D	So what would it take to make the leap from technician to artist?
Lan_B	I am an amatuer so I make anything I want, but for a professional, you must bend to meet the market?
Betty	Dick H . . . good for you. It's a healthy attitude.
Don_Orr	I agree Ruth.
Ellis	I think it has to do with getting out of your usual ruts and looking at things differently. And don't be afraid to experiment, even if not everything you make rises to the level of art that you would like.
Betty	For me the leap wasn't so much of a leap as a gradual understanding and connection with myself and with what I make.
Sharon_D	Lan, I think it's better to have a side income then make what you want. The work can suffer when it has to bend to meet the market.
JohnV	Doc, I think that once you have the techniques, the art comes by applying imagination
Carole_Valentine	So how do you KNOW if it's "art"?
Sharon_D	Boy is that the question, Carole.
Dick_H	Thanks Betty. I have been that way most of my life. If people don't like what I do then go find something you do like.
dick_gerard	Well, then Ellis, I have been experimenting for almost 30 years now!
Doc_Green	I think "imagination" is the key word, John.
Betty	Carol, I'm not sure it really matters if it's labeled "art" or "mush" or anything else, unless you are trying to sell it. Then it matters to many people.
Don_Pencil	If not already an artist, most of us are in business trying to pay the rent to make a smooth transition.
Ellis	Dick, me too. I have boxes and boxes of experiments.
Sharon_D	Good point, Betty.
Ruth	Carole, it's art when people pay their hard earned dollars to own it!
Carole_Valentine	I have seen some so called "art" that my dog could do a better job. Art is in the eye of the beholder and perhaps the creator.
Carole_Valentine	And yet some "art" is art because of the signature.
Jeff_W	Dick, Ellis... I'm in the same bucket. I turn what I want.
Mac	Me too
Jeff_W	You got that right, Carole.
Lan_B	good point Carole
Betty	Carole, again, I'm not so much interested in labels as I am in trying to understand my connection with creating, no matter what anyone else labels it. Labels tend to set limits.
Ellis	Jeff, I don't try to sell my work, so I don't have the pressure. That is liberating for me.
Dick_H	No can read my handwriting so I don't do "art"
Carole_Valentine	LOL@Dick
Betty	Ellis, some people need that pressure!
Don_Orr	Was it Ruth that had a quote a while back about what is art? Some of us just don't have the time to do a lot of experimenting. If I didn't have to work for a living, art might have a chance to show itself.
Earl_Kennedy	I turn what I want unless Linda wants some thing to burn on.
Jeff_W	Ellis, I have a collection here. If someone wants something I give it to them. Otherwise it's mine.
Sharon_D	There's nothing like pressure to create some intense focus!
Ellis	Betty, I meant external pressure. I pressure myself to do my best.
Carole_Valentine	Under pressure, any creativity I might have is stiffled!
Lan_B	Betty, what infuences your creativity?
Betty	Lan, it's always challenging for me to answer that question. I like the work of several sculptors, Barbara Hepworth for one. Georgia O'keffe's paintings. But more than anything, the influence comes from somewhere "out there." Hard to explain, but it's magical.
Dick_H	Being retired helps , Don. There is more time to "play" at things.
Mac	I don't do well under pressure,I do best when I'm laid back
Lan_B	I will do my best even when making a knockout bar for the lathe, that no one else will see
Don_Orr	Me too Lan.
Don_Pencil	This is true, Dick. Tell me about that retired thing. Sounds great.
Ruth	I think the "pressure" of selling does make you creative. You make something you like, it doesn't sell, you try something different, ergo creativity!
Jeff_W	LIke Ellis. I apply the pressure. I had a job and got rid of it.
Dick_H	Pay is not so good but the benefits are great
dick_gerard	Betty, where does collaboration fit in to the authors's message ... and in your own work? Does collaborating with another artist more restrictive or less, more pressure or less?
Betty	Dick G, Collaboration doesn't really work for me, probalby because I would need to connect with the other person in a way that's difficult unless I was around that person and could interact while creating/collaborating. Most of the collaboration done today isn't true collaboration.
Betty	Here's another question for you: What do you remember about your first attempts at woodturning? What are your observations now?
Carole_Valentine	I was hooked from the fist billet of wood I ever mounted on my lathe.
Lan_B	me too Carole
dick_gerard	same here, carol
Dick_H	I remember my first attempts were bloody and real bad looking.
Lan_B	lol Dick
Don_Orr	Right on Carole !
Doc_Green	I struggled with tool technique.
Ellis	My first turnings were spindles. I was 10 and had no clue about aesthetics. It was all about technique. Learning to avoid a catch.
Jeff_W	Betty, I wanted to learn to turn a bowl and hoped I could learn in a year or so. It's been a lot less and I'd accomplished much more.
Don_Pencil	Ellis, what are spindles?
Ellis
Don_Pencil	Just kidding. I acually turned one once
Cyril_Griesbach	Jeff, you had good instruction
Sharon_D	That's great Jeff.
Jeff_W	Cyril, I've had really good critiques and feed back along with some great guidance. No actual lessons other than self inflicted.
Carole_Valentine	You had two lessons, Jeff. One with a scrper (ugh) and one with a bowl gouge!
Carole_Valentine	Now I will make shavings just to relax. Today I turned a green camellia log to nothing just because it felt good. In the middle of the night tonigh I may get so wild idea and, think about it and abandon it. Why abandon it? I don't know why, but I do that more often than not.
Betty	Jeff, great news and it seems like you're enjoying yourself!
Lan_B	I think that is learning Carole!
Ellis	I find that I learn fastest when somebody is showing me how.
Jeff_W	That's why I'm still turning. I love it and am amazed at what I can do.
Sharon_D	So, Betty, what exercises would you suggest to develop creativity?
Dick_H	Ellis, that's whay my frist attempts were bloody. No help.
Carole_Valentine	He's good at lugging logs and chainsawing. Pretty good turner for 9 months too. ;)
Betty	Sharon, one of the ways that helped me develop creativity (creating) was to spend lots of time in my shop/studio. Play.
Ruth	"Play" is the key word.
Ruth	Have the imagination of a child. If you can see dragons in the clouds, you can see creation in the wood.
Sharon_D	Great image, Ruth.
Don_Orr	Awesome Ruth !!!
Ellis	Excellent, Ruth
Lan_B	good point Ruth
Jeff_W	That's right, Carole.
Dick_H	Don't see a lot of dragons but do see a lot of sun dogs.
Sharon_D	Do you do maquettes, Betty?
Betty	Sharon, good question. No I don't do maquettes and there's actually a good reason . . . it's because once I've made something and I have to make another one, it's rather like trying to copy myself and I struggle with that.
Don_Pencil	Sharon, believe it or not, I have actually had the best ot the creative thoughts come while in the shower
Lan_B	Capital Dick, lol
Sharon_D	I believe it, Don. I have dreams sometimes . . . or wake up with an idea.
Jeff_W	Betty, I see work others have done and try it myself with varing degrees of success. Each project for me gets better and may be a stretch for my learning.
Betty	Don, that's true for many people. This sort of thing happens in that space between waking up and actually getting out of bed. Our minds are relaxed.
JohnV	Napoleon thought best on the "throne"
Ruth	Betty, I can make 200 porch spindles all matching.....that's not creative. I can't make 4 salad bowls to look like a set!
JohnV	Napoleon
Ellis	I also find that my repertoire of techniques influences what I can make. But that's the workman's aesthetic. I need to think of what I want to make and devise the techniques to get there.
Betty	Jeff, yes, it's important to examine the work of others and give it a try yourself. That's one way to learn.
TomCollins	Betty, did you consider yourself to be an artist before you started to turn. Many of the turners I admire had an extensive background in art before they started to turn
Betty	Ruth, maybe if you made all the salad bowls intentionally different they would look like a set?
Jeff_W	Ruth, I'm with you on the no set salad bowls. Way behind on the spindles.
TomCollins	I never got past ROY G BIV
Carole_Valentine	Ellis, the things I imagine are so far beyond my technical abilities. That stymies me more often than not.
Cyril_Griesbach	Matched salad bowls are available at Target
Ruth	I'm going to give that theory a try, Betty. I think you're on to something there!
Don_Pencil	I'm with you on that Carole
Betty	Tom, I struggled with the label of "artist" for many years and now that I am one, I don't really enjoy the label. No. I had no idea years ago that anyone could be an artist who was still living.
Sharon_D	Same here, Carole.
Dick_H	I don't call myself an Artist. I am a wood turner.
Ellis	Betty, do you start with drawings -- after you get the initial idea of course?
Ruth	I never cared for the term "artist". I think real artists just make stuff that tickles them and find out others like it, too. The others can't make it so they think you're something special.
Cyril_Griesbach	I agree, Ruth
Don_Pencil	I can see and conceive so many things I technically can not create.
JohnV	I consider myself a wood turner also Dick, but I think some pieces I've turned are art.
Ruth	Don, try it, then try it again, then try it a different way and you will create it.
Sharon_D	I think some artists really can evoke feelings in others. I have a piece a friend made and gave me. The first time I saw it, I had the feeling one gets when a wave breaks and there's a rainbow. One has just time enough to gasp and it's gone. But I get to live with that piece!
Carole_Valentine	So...do you feel the same way about the term "artist" when it applies to oil on canvas or is woodturning somehow different?
Betty	Ellis, I begin by selecting the best piece of wood I can find, then turn the best form I can imagine. After that, I doodle on the wood, perhaps making one major cut, then going from there. My initial carving is messy and scary. It's as though I've ruined a perfectly good turning. After awhile, I "fix" the mess.
Dick_H	I get as much fun trying to figure out how I am going to hold a piece of wood as I do turning it.
Don_Pencil	Ellis, you can draw? Maybe that is my problem.
Betty	Dick H, indeed, it's all about fun and allowing yourself to enjoy the process. And letting others enjoy what's alive in them.
Carole_Valentine	I am so GLAD to hear you say that about your initial carving being messy and scary! That's where I am when I start to do something to a turning.
Ellis	Interesting, Betty. You've really gone far with that approach.
Ruth	Carole, I think the original use of "artist" was for canvas art and now .....heck my neighbor thinks I'm a "flower artist" because I can grow Lady's Mantel!!!!!
Jeff_W	I have to agree, Betty. That's what I enjoy about turning.
TomCollins	I guess it would have been better to ask if you have had an art background before you got into turning
Carole_Valentine	LOL@Ruth. But Ruth, you ARE an artist, like it or not.
Betty	When I'm in the process of carving, I'm not really "thinking," it's more like I'm allowing something to flow from inside. It's that way when I'm enoying the turning process, too. I enjoy all sorts of making in that way. I even like to bake!
Dick_H	When I was doing the boxs with the wire handles I spent as more time finding a way to do the handles as I did turning the boxs.
Ellis	I do agree with Tom that having a background in art is a real asset. To me it means you've been plugged into the creative way of thinking for a long time.
Ellis	One of the finest turners/sculptors I know is Ron Layport. His background was in graphic arts and communication.
Ellis	Betty, the flow!
Don_Pencil	Agreed Ellis, it is a hangup for me. It is difficult to get what the mind sees onto the piece
Betty	Ellis it could also be that having a background in art is a liability. Many art schools funnel young students into our society's definition of "art." Maybe we need to be more open to regular people making art for their daily activity?
Dave_Peebles	Ellis, Ron is a good friend of mine. he is doing some incredible work
Betty	Does anyone remember Ron's first carved bowls? They were a far cry from what he's doing now. Instead of his early "applied cuts and drawings," the work is more unified and alive.
Sharon_D	It's been really interesting to watch Ron's work evolve. Love what he's doing.
Cyril_Griesbach	I don't think that art training/education plugs one into the creative process. I think making does that.
Ellis	Betty, you're right. Anytime you put something into a box, you're placing limits on it.
Dick_H	I have no art schooling Ellis. I did spend a lot of my life building model cars, boats tieing fishing flies and using my hands.
Don_Pencil	Agreed Betty, but the basic tech of how to do is certainly needed
Ruth	I think it might be easier if we stopped calling it "art" and just called it "pretty stuff"...less pressure.
Betty	Cyril, I totally agree with you.
Don_Pencil	I often wish I had more of it
Betty	I don't really have much art training. I took a couple of drawing classes in college and one sculpture class. The sculpture class helped me understand what form is. Previously I had no clue!
Ellis	Sounds a lot like my path, Betty. The three-dimensional design courses I took in college really got me going.
Betty	So what can limits do to help creativity? They can be an excellent tool.
Dick_H	I'm with you Ruth
Cyril_Griesbach	We see form all the time but we're probably not LOOKING at it. We should make a more concious effort to LOOK at forms.
Ellis	What kinds of limits, Betty?
Ellis	Cyril, good point.
Ruth	Limits sure help me. My mind doesn't flitter from project to project when there are limits or deadlines.
Betty	My first series was started because my lathe would only turn something 13" in diameter. In order to make my work look larger, I ended up thinking of putting platters/plates in stands. Hence was born my "altered plate" series. Alter refers to changing the plate (altering it) and also refers to a stand (an altar).
RayT	To me what you are all talking about is Process Control. Imagining the work and developing the process flow to arrive at the final product.
Carole_Valentine	SOme of the contests where material is limited to a specific thing (just as an ex. make something using a 3' long 2x4) have really spurred creativity in some cases.
Don_Pencil	Cyril, when I see what photo artist can capture I see what you mean
Don_Orr	I agree Cyril. Isn't it often said that one must know the rules before you can break them ?
Betty	Carole, yes, indeed. I really like contests and exhibits that give certain guidelines.
Dave_Peebles	Or, making something with a single tool
Carole_Valentine	Yep, that too Dave!
Dick_H	Dave , you use more than one tool?
Ellis	Betty. That's a good example. Limits can push us in a direction we might not have taken.
Betty	Sure, Don. If you don't know the rules, then how can you break them?
Carole_Valentine	I have no rules. Gave them all up. Didn't like 'em.
Don_Pencil	Betty, Don
Dick_H	All you need is a good bowl gouge.
Dave_Peebles	Rules.. we don't need no stinkin' rules :)
Jeff_W	Don, Betty....No one told me the rules but I've found I've broken plenty of them.
Jeff_W	told
Dave_Peebles	Never Dick :)
Don_Pencil	Betty, Don't get me started on breaking the rules
Betty	Ha! I got my first speeding ticket last week. Not bad for just turning 60!
Betty	It was a speed trap.
Dave_Peebles	Betty, I got my first one in 25 years.... and yep... my insurance co. raised my rates
Betty	What role do you think that discovery plays in creativity?
Don_Pencil	Your old
Sharon_D	I think it's a big factor. Happy accidents yield all kinds of great work
Jeff_W	Betty, the more I discover I can do the more I want to try.
Cyril_Griesbach	Betty, I think it plays a very big role
Ellis	Betty do you think that the lathe itself is limiting? Is that why so much recent work that we see at shows and in the journal are taken beyond the lathe.
Don_Orr	Great point Sharon.
Betty	Ellis, I really like the limitation of the lathe. It provides huge opportunity for creating in a way that's not yet been explored. In my opinion, I think we've only just touched the surface of what will be done in the turning field!
Dave_Peebles	Betty, have you ever hit the wall as far as turning and creating? About every few years I just need a break. I have to do something else for a bit
Betty	My sculpture instructor told me years ago that woodturning would never be considered art. I've been trying to prove him wrong ever since. But of course much of what I do (and others) is lathe-based and not "pure" turning, but even so, the limitation of using the lathe in that way provides endless opportunities and excitement.
Ellis	I just saw the most remarkable art show, a 94 year old guy named Si Lewin. Google him. He still paints every day. His creativity is boundless. I took great inspiration from him.
Betty	Dave, I think I've sort of hit it in the past year or so, which maybe is why I'm enjoying editing the American Woodturner journal so much. It's a very creative activity, in a way that woodturning/carving isn't.
Ellis	Betty, I don't think much beyond the lathe myself, but I really find my enjoyment in making forms that please me. Hopefully they please others too. It's just me and the tools and the wood.
Cyril_Griesbach	Betty, I'm afraid that more and more work that we see shows little or no appearance to haveing been on a lathe.
Dave_Peebles	I think when it happens again, I should take a class with Mike Hosaluk
Don_Pencil	I think when you look at the segmented turners and what they can do I'm not sure the lathe limits are a big deal. It's more about what you would like to do with your work
Betty	Cyril, almost everything (actually everything) that's pictured in American Woodturner has something to do with woodturning.
Jeff_W	Do you consider creativity only in the final results or do you think it exists also in how one achieves the results? i.e., approach, technique, tool?
Cyril_Griesbach	Dave, I was recently at one of Mikes demos. Very inspiring
Betty	Cyril, for instance Art Liestman's teapots don't appear to have been turned, but they are!
Dave_Peebles	He will get you thinking for sure
Cyril_Griesbach	Yes, Betty, but some of it just barely
Betty	Jeff, in my opinion, creativity has everything to do with the process itself, not so much the final product.
Don_Orr	Keith Holt's masks are anoter good example Betty. Lots of turning, ut it does not really show.
Betty	Cyril, in some cases, yes, but even then, if it weren't for the lathe, the piece wouldn't have the same aesthetic.
Jeff_W	I must agree.
Cyril_Griesbach	Betty, I'm not arguing the point, just making it.
Betty	Don, yes Keith Holt's masks. Derek Wiedman's heads. Now THOSE are an amazing feat of turning. Then he decorates and carves them, but the initial turning is amazing.
Don_Pencil	Let's put it this way, the lathe is just another tool
Sharon_D	So true, Don.
Betty	Don, yes it's another tool, but one that's not been "played" with much in the recent past. Isn't it wonderful to be part of the generation that discovered all this fun?
Don_Pencil	The more tools you can master and use the more options you have to work with
Don_Orr	Absolutely Don P.
vermont_mike	I agree with Betty in that much of the creativity in a piece is in the process and how to achieve the final result. Having done both segmented work and carved/ altered work, they both require creativity to overcome obstacles to get to the final desired result.
Don_Pencil	So true
Betty	One of the ways that I set myself up for coming up with a new idea is to, say, turn a disc, then take it to my drillpress and drill a hole in it and start carving from that point. It's rather like giving myself a challenge.
Dave_Peebles	I like it Betty
Sharon_D	You're committed at that point!
Carole_Valentine	What a great idea, Betty! That's sort of like the contest thing I mantioned.
Don_Pencil	It's complex. I'm great at mastering a tool. But the ability to use them in an artistic form is a challenge
Don_Orr	You're right, Mike; you need to be a problem solver in your pieces.
Betty	The first class I took in woodturning was from Michael Hosaluk. He "assigned" us a bowl, then we were required to drill into it or cut it apart. I decided to make an exploded bowl. It wasn't until the very last day of the class that it all came together. The class was very liberating.
Dave_Peebles	Betty, do you still have that piece? I would love to see it
Betty	Carole, yes, it rather is like the contest. We could start a contest like that . . . turn bowls, then cut them in two or drill a hole or make a "V" cut in them and send them out.
Carole_Valentine	Some of us did that this summer. Mac Ray sent us bowls from his burn bin and we had to make something from them.
Betty	Dave, yes, I still have that piece. Somewhere. It's in pieces. The "dowels" I used were colorful plastic ones and they all snapped. But I have a picture of it. And an article written about me in Woodwork magazine had that picture included.
Carole_Valentine	We called it the "Fugly" contest.
Don_Orr	Cool Carole!
Cyril_Griesbach	Sounds like fun, Carole
Dave_Peebles	I have all the issues Betty, I will look it up. Thanks Woodwork mag. RIP I sure do miss it.
Carole_Valentine	It was. We ended up with an Alice in Wonderland theme on that silly bowl...thanks to Jeff and Barb.
Sharon_D	Sounds fun, Carole
Cyril_Griesbach	Betty, what can we be doing to stumulate more creativity in our chapters?
Sharon_D	Betty assigned a ladder in one of her classes in 2008 Everybody had a different approach to that exercise. Some really cool work came out of it. Some people's ladder climbed around the inside of the pieces, some traversed them, some were burned in. It was great to see all the interpretations of ladder.
Betty	Cyril, good question and it's a challenge to stimulate some of the chapters into being active and creative. Not sure of the answer.
Jeff_W	Cyril, try to find newsletters from other chapters and see what they've done. Challenge your chapter to do similar or better. Just a thought.
Betty	Well, it's time to wind it down. Does anyone have any more questions?
Don_Pencil	Betty, any insight on the mag and the where you see it going in the near and/or long range?
Betty	Don, your question gets to the heart of the turning field itself. Ask me later, as it's a topic I enjoy talking about.
Ellis	Well, Betty. It has been wonderful having you with us tonight. I can't recall a livelier chat. You've really touched a nerve with this topic. I hope we can get you back for a return engagement.
JohnV	It's been an interesting chat Betty (& Ellis) Thanks. Night all have a good week
Don_Orr	Good night folks. This was a great chat. Betty-thanks a lot for making the time to join us and share your insights. And thanks to Ellis for having such a wonderful guest.
Sharon_D	Thank you Betty.
Sharon_D	Good night all
Barbara_Gill	Night All; thanks Betty and Ellis.
Carole_Valentine	Thank, Betty. It was fun!
Jeff_W	Enjoyed it, Betty. Thanks.
Bob_in_NJ	Thanks Betty, and Ellis.
Dave_Peebles	Thanks Betty. Come on back anytime.
Betty	Thanks, everyone. Very enjoyable!
Cyril_Griesbach	Thanks, Betty, and thanks to Ellis for having you with us tonight.
Dave_Peebles	Night all
Jeff_W	Ellis, thanks for putting this together. I enjoyed it.
Jeff_W	Night all.
Ellis	It is always my pleasure.
Doc_Green	Thanks, Betty, and Nite all.
Ellis	Betty, keep up the good work with the magazine.
Betty	Thanks, Ellis.
Ellis	Thank you, Betty. See you all later.
About Betty Scarpino: Betty Scarpino has been working with wood for over 35 years. She has taught woodturning techniques to beginners and also offered workshops on creativity for those interested in exploring that territory. Lots of her work resides in her living room, but some objects have found their way into private and public collections, such as the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian as well as a dozen other museums. She currently is the editor of American Woodturner, journal of the American Association of Woodturners. A small sample of Betty's work: