Mary Ashton - Woodturner

Profile

Since then I have won several awards for my woodturning and was overwhelmed at being accepted onto the Register of Professional Woodturners supported by The Worshipful Company of Woodturners after assessment in July 2009.

I was invited to join The Contemporary Wood Collective, a group which aims to  explore ideas and push the boundaries of turned work. This is proving to be very exciting and rewarding and is encouraging me to investigate other techniques including the use of other materials, colouring, carving and  burning. It has helped me to create another dimension to my work.

I have now worked as a tutor at Orchard Workshop in Kingswood, Bristol for more than 10 years providing courses in furniture making and woodturning. Please select ‘Courses’ from the menu for further information.

Hornbeam swan- neck pot

I first discovered the pleasures of woodturning over 20 years ago whilst attending a woodwork evening course at Bristol Women’s Workshop. I discovered a machine there which was used to rotate timber in order to carve and shape it using specialist tools -  a woodturning lathe. After some training on this new found machine, I rapidly became ‘hooked’ and much to my surprise managed to produce work that was pleasing and pretty accurate.

My next experience of woodturning was several years later whilst studying Fine Furniture at Brunel College. I was delighted to find I was capable of  producing turned items such as handles, and chair and table legs as part of the furniture making process.

Recognising my interest in turning another student introduced me to the Avon & Bristol Woodturning Club. I signed up and soon realised I didn’t really know much about correct tool selection and methods of woodturning. I was very lucky to arrive at a time when Dennis May, a very talented woodturner was offering his excellent tutoring skills. He rapidly knocked me into shape and within just a few months I was enjoying the delights of tool control, producing artistic forms and selling my work.