Try Again

Since I have closed my website it seemed appropriate to have an online presence of some sort.    So, after a long layoff I will try to renew and maintain my Blogspot activity.  I enjoy woodturning but have not enjoyed the tasks involved in preparing and uploading photos and material  to a website.  I hope the blog will require a more basic level of maintenance.

I have greatly reduced my participation in arts and crafts shows this year.  I am only entering two; The Walnut Grove show and The Wilton show.  Both are one-day shows the dates being November 10 and 17 respectively.

Some of my turnings are also offered for sale in the store at the Kingston, Canada Woodworking Museum and in the Weasel and Easel museum store on Amherst Island just west of Kingston.  These museums are closed for the winter season but will open a few days for special Christmas events in early December.  Interested buyers may also purchase directly from me at my home studio.

With the suggestion of ardent knitters and spinners I have been designing and turning Drop Spindles and Wool/Yarn bowls.  

They have become so popular I

have been hard pressed to keep up with the demand.  

A recent suggestion has me turning basis tools for Tapestry weaving.  I need to have a weaver try out these tools before putting them on display.  I like to make sure the are useful as well as having a nice appearance.

Summer Activities

Wood turners and collectors may be interestd in various shows in which the Kingston Wood Turners club is participating this summer.

The Sheep Dog Trials are returning again to Grass Creek Park in Kingston Ontario. Members of the club will be demonstrating their design and turning skills. There will also be turned items for sale. They make wonderful, unique gifts for those special relatives and friends.

Members are returning to the McLaughlan Woodworking Museum to continue their Sunday demonstrations. The museum is located at the Grass Creek Park as well, and has added many wood turnings to the inventory of their shop.

In the fall, demonstrations and sales will be available at the Kingston Fall Fair. More information on the Fair will be provided later this summer.

New Turnings

For those who are interested in woodturnings, I have updated my web site with a few new items. Some have been made with Manitoba Maple burls. The wood has a very pronounced natural red colour in the grain which is very attractive. One of the items is a fairly large, for me, hollow form vase. Another is a small lidded bowl/box turned from Walnut and Maple.

Active Again

Well, I am back and hoping to be more active entering items in this blog. I am trying to get back to my wood turning on a more consistent basis. After a 4 month hiatus I am trying to build up my inventory of turnings, and with the help of Cam my webmaster, get them posted on my website ( www. herbsalter.com ). I have partially completed 3 new items and will post them when completed. I have always been a casual turner so I have never been very prolific even though the work sells well and seems popular with viewers.

For those interested in artistic and usable wood turnings, The Kingston Woodturners club will be offering turning demonstrations during the summer months at the McLaughlan Woodworking Museum in Kingston, Ontario, Canada again this year. They will also have items for sale through the Museum shop. The grounds of the museum are ideal for picnics and family fun, so plan on spending some time with the family to visit this great attraction. Visitors to the area should think about adding a visit to their itinerary.

Readers are encouraged to comment on all items in the blog or on my website. All ideas and comments are welcome. Ideas for relevant entries for the blog are also encouraged.

Holiday

I have decide to stop turning for a few weeks. My work and my head have become too stale over the past few months so I have declared my lathe, and the whole shop, closed until I feel more able to develop newer ideas. My web site will not be updated with new items during this time.

Herb

Facebook

I have recently joined facebook. I am not sure of the value of this activity, but joined because a friend wanted me to see some holiday pictures. I assume this is possible, so maybe I can do the same.

Happy New Year everyone.

Happy Holiday

I have not made too many entries to my blog this year, but hopefully I will have more to enter in 2010. I am going to do some experimenting with project shapes and colours. I also hope to try various textures and maybe even do some basic piercing. If any of my experiments prove fruitful, I will log the ideas and the processes used.

I will also try my hand at taking better pictures of the designs, processes and completed turnings. My friend Cam just gave me a photography box. With proper lighting and the box I hope to develop my photography knowledge and skills. You can check out some of Cam's work at http://caminkingston.blogspot.com/

Happy holiday everyone, and all the best for the new year.