I recently started teaching woodturning at a local craft school and I am finding the whole experience to be an education for me. Since I’m more comfortable with spindle grain woodturning, I thought I would start with teaching projects that use that orientation. I have a lot of experience making vases and they are popular at markets, so I decided to start with that project.
I have been woodturning for about 10 years now and I have developed my own process for how I take an idea from concept to completion. When I wrote out a lesson plan for how to make a bud vase, I budgeted a lot of time for discussing about where I find inspiration for designs, and how to sketch out a plan on paper before starting on the lathe.
In practice, I realized that my students had an entirely different set of needs. I still think it’s valid to talk about the design process, but only a cursory mention is needed. Starting with the block of wood that they will use, I try to help them understand where the internal cylinder that they will reduce into the shape of a vase is located. Woodturning is subtractive sculpture and most people have not practiced the pre-visualizing and planning that goes into a successful work.
I still ask the students to sketch out a design plan after tracing the block of wood. After that, the main things that they need are the basics of lathe operation, tool selection and how to shape the spinning wood.
I think my primary job as a teacher is to help my students experience the joy of making a tangible object. Most people who sign up for one of my workshops are people with regular jobs who want to try out a new experience and won’t decide to pursue it much further as I have. That’s fine, and I want to help people connect with craft and have it be a positive experience with a tangible take-away that they made themselves.
My next workshop will be on August 10 at Brookfield Craft Center and I will be teaching students how to make a French-style rolling pin. After that, I’ll be teaching the Bud Vase Workshop again on September 21. Later this Fall, I’m planning an ornaments workshop.