Charlie Black:

Charlie has enjoyed working with wood for over thirty years. In 2001, when his family gave him a lathe, he at last found his "niche", woodturning. He combines an artistic eye and his background as a structural engineer to let his pieces evolve as he turns. From the first cutting of a log, he instinctively lets the shape, grain, and natural characteristics of the wood "tell" him how the finished piece should look. Working mostly with green salvaged wood, he will rough out the basic shape of the piece, then set it aside to dry before the final turning and finishing. Most pieces take at least six months from start to finish, but larger pieces may take close to a year.