James Stevens
James is a South Australian Wood Worker and he writes…
My passion for all things wood has developed over the last 40 years of working as a Technology teacher. My preference for the timbers I work in are burl and figured grain blocks from Western Australia and Tasmania. The harder and more twisted the piece the faster my heart beats with anticipation of what it will reveal. I combine varied materials and textures into my pieces to accentuate the natural beauty of the timbers I use. I sand my pieces down to 3000 grit and on harder dessert timbers to 7000 grit, giving a glass like smoothness, which I then finish with Danish oil. Through many years of experimentation and training I have become able is able to combine traditional woodwork techniques with modern technology throughout the design and production process to produce one-off unique pieces which challenge the traditional shapes and forms that have been the hallmark of turned and shaped wooden objects.
