Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
I guess I'm somewhere past the 10,000 hrs to get to mastery and it is a long time since I had to consciously have my technique front of mind when turning. When I'm turning my focus is not so much on what I'm doing or trying to achieve but more on what the wood is saying to me. I'm searching for the inner nature of the wood and what form it might take. Every piece that goes to the gallery has on its ticket the following wording...
Beautiful pieces of wood that guide me
in what form they might take
in their new life beyond the living tree
I have been quite influenced by George Nakashima and his book 'The Soul of a Tree', so for me the spiritual aspect of turning is not coming out of me but rather comes from the wood. It's more about a reverence for the inner nature of the wood than anything going on inside of me.
That's a new "take" on the spiritual turning aspect, and it's all good if it's working for you, Neil......

-o-