Jim McLain
Artist
Thought I should join in on this great idea. I have lived in New Mexico all but the first year of my life. I was a golfer most of my early life and played some college golf. In 1992 after having skin pre-cancers removed for a few years from all the sun exposure I had from years of being on the golf course, I decided I needed a hobby that was indoors. I took a ceramics class thinking that might be the hobby I was looking for but after a semester of it I got to thinking that I would rather do this with wood. This prompted the purchase of my first lathe a delta variable speed lathe as an addition to my flat work machines. I had been making furniture and cabinets for a few years when I started turning. I was a Facilities Manager at New Mexico Tech for over 25 years taking care of anything from the Golf Course to Building Controls over the years. I retired in June of 2017 after 34 years of Higher Education Administration.
I have been very fortunate to have had way more success as a woodturner than I ever imagined. I started out doing shows locally and in 2003 did several larger regional craft fairs. While showing at the New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, I was approached by several galleries that wanted to represent me. I joined two and am still with Marigold Arts on Canyon Road in Santa Fe New Mexico. My success with my art has filled my shop with equipment and allowed me to travel to several symposiums over the years. My shop is very unique being a round adobe structure which was once our two car garage.
You might say I have been a little obsessed with woodturning and recently when I recruited my children to help me clean out my shed I realized I might have a problem. This is part of the blanks I have stored.
Woodturning has been a hobby that has exceeded my wildest expectations. It has allowed me to travel to several symposiums and meet a lot of really great people. The amazing thing about woodturning is that you never stop learning.
I have been married to my wife Anna for 36 years and have two children Sarah 23 and Justin 20 and one dog Max.
I have been very fortunate to have had way more success as a woodturner than I ever imagined. I started out doing shows locally and in 2003 did several larger regional craft fairs. While showing at the New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, I was approached by several galleries that wanted to represent me. I joined two and am still with Marigold Arts on Canyon Road in Santa Fe New Mexico. My success with my art has filled my shop with equipment and allowed me to travel to several symposiums over the years. My shop is very unique being a round adobe structure which was once our two car garage.
You might say I have been a little obsessed with woodturning and recently when I recruited my children to help me clean out my shed I realized I might have a problem. This is part of the blanks I have stored.
Woodturning has been a hobby that has exceeded my wildest expectations. It has allowed me to travel to several symposiums and meet a lot of really great people. The amazing thing about woodturning is that you never stop learning.
I have been married to my wife Anna for 36 years and have two children Sarah 23 and Justin 20 and one dog Max.
