Keith P. Tompkins Woodturning Studio

 

 

I can still vividly recall my first experience at the lathe…I turned a pair of  walnut candlesticks  in high school wood shop. I watched spellbound as the form of each candlestick developed. The intoxicating scent of black walnut filled the air as piles of shavings grew around me.  A film of French polish applied to the revolving pieces seemed to bring the swirling grain to life.  Something inside of me had come to life as well; I had discovered a passion for woodworking that would endure for a lifetime.  My school experiences led me to seek employment in a large cabinetmaking shop. Initially, I was assigned mostly menial tasks, from stacking lumber to sweeping the floors. I started at the bottom, but I had no intention of staying there. I studied the master woodworkers. I observed how they sharpened their tools. I listened to their finely tuned hand planes as they effortlessly produced translucent ribbons of wood. I asked annoying questions, and I watched. And I learned. I took pieces of scrap wood home after work and I practiced. I read every book on woodworking and design I could find.

My perseverance did not go unnoticed; I eventually became assistant to the company President, where I was responsible for designing and building prototype furniture pieces, and the jigs and fixtures required to put them into production. I was granted several design and utility patents for this work. I was also responsible for training new employees and overseeing production in the shop. Subsequently, I was employed by several other cabinet shops before I began my own custom furniture business. Gradually, my interests have evolved, from making functional furniture pieces to creating artistic wood turnings.

It has been over fifty years since I created my first lathe-turned objects, yet I feel the same sense of accomplishment when I take an abstract concept and transform it into a completed object.  Working at the lathe gives me a sense of complete freedom; and allows me to explore the limits of my creative ability.  I find inspiration comes in many forms; a walk in the woods, the appearance of folds in a piece of fabric, or even a seemingly insignificant life experience.  I keep a sketchbook handy; there is no way of knowing when inspiration will hit next. I expect each piece I produce to reflect my experiences as a furniture maker as well as a wood turner, as I strive to produce bold, dynamic pieces that reveal a small part of me. My woodworking career continues to lead me in new and often unexpected directions. I believe the best is yet to come.

 

 

Keith P. Tompkins

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