Artist Info - Ray Asselin


The Bowlwood shop is located in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts (U.S.A.), an area that's richly endowed with New England hardwood forests that provide much of the raw materials for wood bowls and vessels.

As a former database tech support person for large corporations, I can say that it's much more peaceful, and just as rewarding, to spend my days producing art objects on a wood lathe.   

Several years ago I built a post-and-beam, timber framed wood shop heated by a small potbelly stove. Finally, I could move out of the dreary basement into a bright new world. Every wall has windows; the daylight flooding in makes all the difference. The days drift by when I'm turning wood, ankle deep in wood chips, particularly on winter days when the tranquility of falling snow sets the mood.     

My first experience turning wood was on an old treadle lathe in a one-day class at Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock, MA, some 25 years ago. I was hooked. In 1994, I purchased my first lathe, and have been enjoying turning ever since. Most of my early turnings were "weed pots" (vases into which you put dried weeds, grasses, etc.), but have included many other objects, such as platters, bowls, lamps, lidded boxes, candle holders, hollow vessels, and some segmented items. Today, I'm primarily turning bowls, vases, jewelry boxes. and vessels, and specialize in burl wood bowls. The excitement of turning a new wood species for the first time never fades. 

Most of the woods I turn are from local trees that have died or been taken down of necessity, or have been storm damaged. I don't cut down live trees for the sake of obtaining wood. The Australian burl woods I use are legally harvested and strictly controlled by Australian authorities; the burls are removed from the trees without cutting the trees down. You'll find many of my pieces retain the natural defects of the wood (worm holes, bark inclusions, voids, etc.), because they're a reminder of the rugged nature, endurance, and resilience of trees.

To see some of my other turnings (lamps, vases, hollow vessels, music boxes, more), visit my Etsy shop, www.timberturner.com.

Read the latest news on my blog at
www.timberturner.blogspot.com

You can also see my work in these galleries and shops:

- Grow Gallery, Shelburne Falls, MA
 - North Quabbin Woods, Orange, MA
- Nashawannuck Gallery, 
       Easthampton, MA
- Flights of Fancy Gallery, 
       Stafford Springs, CT