John Plater

We have Walnut and Mulberry bowls by John. For him woodturning is developing as a second career after teaching and lecturing Design and Technology for a number of years. John enjoys sourcing the less usual pieces of timber which have little commercial value but which offer a lot of interest in the grain, colour and shapes, developed through the processes of turning. Timber recently felled might be turned "green" to an approximate shape before being allowed to season prior to final shaping and finishing. Sometimes the green forms are finished so that interesting shapes develop in the final bowl as the timber dries and warps. Timber which is already dry can be worked to its final form but often contains cracks and other defects which help to create interest in a piece.