J. Paul Fennell Demonstration

Demo Sat., March 31 ~ Hands-On Sun., April 1

J. Paul Fennell

Born and raised in Beverly, Massachusetts, Paul's earliest memories of woodworking were as a very young boy, sawing and nailing scraps of wood cutoffs together in his Dad's basement workshop. He will never forget the pleasant aroma of freshly cut wood emanating from there.

Any further interest in working with wood, however, was years later as an adult, but the reverence for wood always remained. After receiving BSc and MSc degrees in engineering from The Ohio State University and the University of Southern California respectively, he became employed in California as a mission, rocket performance, and orbital mechanics analyst in the Apollo space program.

Paul was first exposed to woodturning in 1970 through a woodworking course at a local high school Adult
Education program in California. His first lathe project in that class was a small table with turned legs,
which has been in his home ever since.

He is for the most part self-taught, and has focused on the expressiveness of hollow forms for most of his
life as a woodturner.

Paul presently reside in the beautiful Sonora Desert, in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife Judy, and works in a 400 sq. ft. studio.

Paul is a charter member of the American Association of Woodturners and has been a featured lecturer at their annual symposium numerous times. He has missed only one of their annual symposia since 1987. Paul is currently a committee member of the AAW's Professional Outreach Program.

Paul is also a charter member of Central New England Woodturners, one of the earliest chapters to organize under the AAW in 1987. Currently, he is a member of the Arizona Woodturners Association.

Over the years Paul has demonstrated at many symposia and local organizations, nationally and internationally. He has work in numerous private collections, and several museums; most notably the
Smithsonian, Detroit Institute of Arts, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Yale University Art Gallery, and the Wood Turning Center.

Paul's experience of making works of art is largely rooted within the desire for creative expression. The medium he has chosen is wood, and stems from his deep reverence for the material.

For Paul, one of the first physical steps of the process of making involves the lathe, a machine which allows him to explore forms very quickly, with found wood that is generally not available commercially. Most of his work concerns the aesthetic of the vessel form, one of the most relevant and oldest artifacts of human civilization. It is timeless and ubiquitous throughout multitudes of cultures, past and present.
Paul's earlier work explored the seemingly infinite variety of pleasing shapes and forms that have evolved throughout the course of history.

His desire for expressive work then was focused primarily upon the discovery and subsequent presentation of the inherent beauty of the material itself, within the vessel aesthetic. Living in Massachusetts with abundant resources of found wood, I was able to create a large body of work that took full advantage of the material’s color, figuring, grain and texture.

At a point in time, however, “the natural beauty of wood” became a cliché, and had run its course. I realized that it represented only one component for creative expression, and was certainly not the only criterion upon which I could base my work.

In his remarkable book, Art as Experience, John Dewey states: “Because objects of art are expressive, they are a "language.” The making of art effectively communicates to the world just who you are, what your interests focus upon, your reverence for things, your experiences, and the relative importance of each to yourself. These creations are a “language” that everyone can understand. The body of work, if it is expressive, is due as it has been said, to the connection you make between the visual world as you see it, and your inner self, that is, your experiences in this world. In my view, this “connection” cannot be
constrained by employing only one aspect of the medium without limiting the expressiveness of the work itself.

As a result, my work is made based upon things which have had a decided influence on myself throughout my life, namely, the natural world, family, architecture -- Its elements and their cultural diversity, memories and experiences of the past, travels, artists whose work I admire, patterns-- natural and man-made, and the workmanship of things made. With these in mind, the creative experience -- through my work -- makes the “connection” for me in what I see plus what I feel.

A note about the wood I use for my work: For decades, I have taken the approach to acquire and use my
material responsibly. Salvaging wood from trees that are destined for the landfill or for firewood is a
responsible act that provides a wood artist with as much wood as he/she can possibly use, while resulting in a minimal impact on the environment. When living in the temperate region of the Northeast, obtaining wood in this manner was relatively easy. Living in the Sonora Desert region of Arizona, however, where the native vegetation has adapted to harsh climatic conditions, indigenous trees are few, relatively small and are protected. However, as in most large urban areas, there exists an "urban forest," largely comprised of trees that are introduced from other regions and planted as street trees, landscaping or for other horticultural purposes. Many are considered exotic, not being available commercially. When these trees are removed as a result of weather, age or development, they become an exciting resource for the wood artist, again with minimal environmental impact.

Paul's other interests include acoustic jazz and classical music, both very enjoyable to listen to while turning wood in his studio.

Visit Paul's website at www.jpaulfennell.com

Demo Description

The morning session will be about creating hollow forms. For the exterior of the vessel, I will demonstrate how subtle changes in the form’s line, volume and proportions can dramatically enhance the elegance of the vessel. Techniques will be shown for finishing, including proper tool use, sanding and completing the bottom. Home made tools and calipers for hollowing the vessel will be demonstrated.

The afternoon session will be about techniques to decorate the surface of the vessel, including carving, piercing and texturing. How creative indexing is a starting point for many design possibilities. Use of the computer to modify designs. Applying designs using vinyl frisket as the transfer medium. Use of unconventional tools for texturing vessel surfaces, and power carving methods.

Hands-on Class

Class participants will be able to learn the various techniques shown in the demo, including creating hollow forms, design layout, power carving, texturing and piercing.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own tools and pieces that they wish to practice on, or create a design for. My goal will be to provide as much personal instruction as possible to each person’s particular interest.

Examples of Paul's work

Updated February 9, 2012