About

For as long as I can remember I’ve been making things. I’ve had many varied interests in my life and the common thread weaving through most of them is creation, driven by an incessant craving to give form to my thoughts. Woodturning is one of the most enjoyable ways I’ve found to satisfy my desire to construct.

Most of the wood I turn is domestic hardwood with plain figure and grain. Using simple forms as a blank canvas, I adorn its surface with paint, or alter it with texture or bleaching. Occasionally I use wood with a strength of character that requires a nuanced treatment, but without resorting to excessive reverence. I strive to create an object that combines its inherent beauty and fashioned appearance into a coherent whole, surpassing its presence as mere wood.

I’m a self-taught woodturner. My journey to master the craft, though never ending, has led me to the beautiful phases of woodturning. Process and result; the meditative and the contemplative.

Working with a spinning piece of wood is nearly hypnotic, and there is no escaping the analogy of the cyclic nature of life. Likewise for my embellished pieces, the application of paint can at times feel like a tea ceremony, infused with concentration and deliberate animation. The resultant work invites attention through its shape, pattern, and color. Its symmetry is comforting. The circular form feels complete.

Contact

gary_billingsley@charter.net

PO Box 804
Neskowin, OR 97149