Master turner

Re: Master turner

Barry L Elder

I know of a few, very few, woodturners who consider themselves "god-like woodturners, (tongue-in-cheek) but I would just smile and walk away from his extremely limited practice.

Re: Master turner

John K Jordan

Hey, he had a sign so it must be official.

JKJ

Master Forum Post Reader

Re: Master turner

mikeee12345

If he traveled more than a hundred miles to the craft show that would qualify as being an expert. :-)

This sounds like a bit of marketing spin on his part to impress upon his audience.

"Master" Wood Turners usually have their pieces displayed in Art Galleries, Museums, and Symposiums.

A true "Master" will take the raw material and work it to express the natural beauty of the piece.

Re: Master turner

Keith tompkins

Hi Willie, Good to see you at TT! Thanks for the thoughtful gift! Here I start think in' I'm a pretty good turner, but I've never turned a kit before. Not one. There are so many kits out there I have to attempt and master that I now realize I've got a long way to go

Re: Master turner

robo hippy

I will consider myself a 'Master' woodturner when I figure I have nothing left to learn. Ain't never gonna happen... The more I learn, the more I discover there is for me to learn. Being a 'Master' means having that title awarded by your peers, not yourself. I have met a few of the self proclaimed "Masters', and to me, none of them were...

robo hippy

British have a program *LINK*

Dick Coers

Being awarded this recognition would never mean you had nothing more to learn, it means you have achieved a certain level of proficiency. He may have lived and studied in Great Britain, or just creative marketing. No program in the United States that I know of.


http://turnersco.com/master-in-turning-award-2012/

Re: British have a program *LINK*

George Balock

While it isn't a Master Woodturner designation, the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen has a Master Craftsman status. It has a number of very talented turners who have attained this status.


Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Master Craftsman S

and now it is

Dennis in Southern Oregon

posted online so it must be true! 😄

Re: Master turner

Willie Simmons

And Post Poster

Re: British have a program

Dick Hines

I have turnings in galleries, art museums and do art shows. The only thing I have mastered is making a mess in my shop. I call myself a "woodturner".

Although I have mastered the art of sleeping since I retired.😊

Re: British have a program

Robert Lalonde

I think I'm a "master turner" then I go in the shop and turn on my lathe. Dream over.

Re: Master turner

John C Lucas

Boy im with Reed on that one. I really struggled.to figure out how a segmented piece i saw on line was made. Actually make that two pieces. So i still have.lots.to learn. Actually i thought you were a Master Woodturner.

He's obviously a member of "Egos Unlimited!"

Why consider he's over rating himself?

Dick Coers

Without even seeing pictures of his work? Everyone is just assuming he's doesn't back up the claim? I've seem some incredibly high quality small work.

Re: Why consider he's over rating himself?

Willie Simmons

His work was very good. Good finish and displayed very well. The prices did not seem to be out of line either. He may be a "Master Turner". What I want to know is what would a turner need to show they could turn with confidence to be considered a "Master Turner".

you have two questions

john lucas

One would be do you need certain skills to be considered a master turner. In other words would it be necessary to be able to turn a variety of items and someone would judge how well you turned them and what skills you used to turn them. Then if they agreed that you used the bowl gouge and spindle gouge correctly and had good forms on your work.

However that in itself doesn't mean you can make it as an artist. You could be a very lousy turner using nothing but scrapers and have bad finishes (from the above judges standpoint) and yet you have found a niche that people connect with and buy lots of your work. This artist although not considered a good turner might be much more successful than the above "master turner".

In the above example you might be highly skilled based on the judges who might also be skilled turners but aren't necessarily skilled at judging true artwork or possible what the public wants to buy. This is what often happens when you enter a juried show and don't get in. All of your friends and fellow turners might think your work is wonderful (and probably is). However when judged by a 3 jurors none of whom are turners they may not get excited about your work and you won't get in that show. Get 3 more jurors and next time you will. So having a title like master turner and rightfully judged to be so by other turners only says your work stands out in that crowd. Not necessarily in the whole world of art.

I'm a master turner

Steven Antonucci

Unless I'm standing next to Stu Batty. Then I'm a schmuck with a gouge.

Re: you have two questions

John K Jordan

And what about the guy who turns beautiful gallery quality bowls with amazing finishes but can't turn an inside-out ornament, a multi-axis spindle, a lidded box? Maybe he gets a Master Bowl Turner card.

JKJ

License for mediocrity *LINK*

john lucas

Willie In photography there have been discussions from time to time about requiring a license of some sort to "guarantee" that people get a quality photographer for their money. Sounds good up front but always comes down to the same question. Who decides if your good enough. There are some very famous wedding photographers out there who's work most people would think is very strange and unacceptable by many peoples standards. These people produce a fine art product that obviously fits a certain niche but in the eyes of the "professional judges" might not ever get the "photo Merit badge". The term license for mediocrity was created to describe this system. You can easily think of many painters who might have been unable to get a master painters license simply because there work wasn't "normal" and yet they are world famous.

Not arguing, simply stating that what many of us might think of as a master wood turner might not fit the real world. Tod Hoyer for example. I didn't like his work at first. burned, cracked, rusty wire wrapped. But when you learn about him, what he's trying to say, and see the work live, well your mind can get changed. He's been one of my favorite turners now for years.


http://collectorsofwoodart.org/artist/portfolio/7

Re: License for mediocrity

Willie Simmons

John,

Several years ago at an annual job evaluation my supervisor gave me an across the board neutral rating. No above or below average rating. He told me the only person who can honestly evaluate the job I was doing was myself. I knew my strengths and weaknesses. I knew what I needed to work on and where I excelled. It was good life advice.

Re: Master turner

Stuart Johnson

In my mind a "master" usually refers to a level of skill more along the lines of European apprenticeship. Based on the journey from apprentice to master there can be some very finely laid out levels and steps with a final original piece judged by a group of established masters. Of course if someone calls their self a master and they have not been selected they can be punished. Whipping, driven from town or having fingers or a hand chopped off is frowned on these days.

Re: Master turner

Mike Stafford

Several years ago I developed a proposal for a Master Craftsman in various aspects of woodturning. My idea was to have a specified step program of perhaps six steps that required the aspiring Master Craftsman to create specific items which would then be judged by a panel of woodturning experts who would critique the submitted pieces using an agreed upon method of evaluation. Each step would have to pass before the aspiring turner could move on to the next test.

I figured we could have a Master Craftsman designation in bowl turning, hollow forms, miniatures, spindles, ornaments, boxes, etc. etc. By breaking it down into specific categories turning clubs could invite demonstrators who had achieved the Master Craftsman designation. People who were interested could do it. I figure goal oriented folks might find such a program interesting.

Re: Master turner

John K Jordan

>>>steps that required the aspiring Master Craftsman to create specific items which would then be judged by a panel of woodturning experts...

But who would these woodturning experts be, what are their qualifications? Voted as experts by their woodturning fan club? People who make money from turning? Those with incredible on-line photo galleries? Expert at finishing cuts, detail, form, embellishment? It's difficult to judge art since not everyone agrees.

Maybe a woodturning expert would be the guy at the craft fair who has this sign in his booth: "Woodturning Expert"

I hereby nominate Mike Stafford as Master Craftsman: Turned Box Category.

JKJ

Re: Master turner

Mike Stafford

I would think that the experts would be a nationally recognized panel put forth by a group such as the AAW.

In order for the program to have credibility a committee of said experts would have to be identified and trained in the program.

The idea came from observing the Master Craftsman program developed by the needlepoint guilds.