Raymond Overman
Over the past six years I have worked with wood as a pastime to bring my visions into reality. As I have developed my understanding of the technique and craftsmanship of woodturning, I found myself moving from a "let the tree tell me what it wants to be," attitude to me controlling the process and reading the material to determine if it will fit my vision. I've learned enhancement techniques and experimented with classic forms, textures, naturally occurring negative space, colors, and design fundamentals so that I can include them in my work.
The primary medium I use is reclaimed and heirloom wood. Reclaimed wood is from local trees taken down for various construction projects and disease or decay. Heirloom wood is from a tree that someone brings to me and requests a commission piece. Most of the time, heirloom wood is from someone's home place and I really enjoy creating something that I know will help them remember their heritage.
I use a non-structured technique to realize my vision. It usually starts with me thinking about a piece for days or weeks before going out to my shop and putting something down in wood. In my work, the process isn't as important as the end product so my array of tools and my liberal use of sandpaper may annoy some other woodturning artists, but it's the way I work. I enjoy the process of creating in my mind and then translating that to my medium but it's the goal of the finished work that drives me. In other words, the perfection of a single cut isn't what I'm looking for, it's the bowl or vase or sculpture that I saw in my dreams for days that is the goal.
I am continuing to create objects in loosely connected series of, natural edge bowls, square bowls, helixes, "Diamond Boxes", teapots, and sculptural works. I hope to help bring turned wood art to the forefront in my community and share my enjoyment of the medium with everyone.