Barry Lundgren bio
Woodturning is my passion! It all started about 30 years ago when I was making furniture. All it took was one demonstration (I saw a natural edge bowl created in less than an hour) for me to know that’s what I wanted to pursue. It’s been 26 years and I’m still inspired to make shavings fly and enjoy the process from start to finish.
Whether I’m rough turning a piece that will become an urn down the road, or creating a natural edge piece that will take its own shape as it dries, it’s the process that keeps me inspired.
My inspiration comes from the wood itself. Every piece is different in color, texture, scent, and character. Some pieces are turned green and I find it fascinating how they warp and distort into finished pieces. Others, such as lidded boxes, threaded urns, and salad bowls have to be rough-turned and left to dry and stabilize. They are then remounted and turned to finish their shape, and will actually dry and stay symmetrical.
The wood may come from anywhere in the world, but much of it is sourced locally (on the Central Coast of California). These include walnut, olive, buckeye, acacia, and oak. Some of my more exotic pieces are created from Australian burls, koa, milo, and ebony.
The shape of the pieces are equally as important as the wood. Whether they are the classical shapes from the past or the natural-edge pieces that warp into their own shape, my goal is to make them all pleasing to the eye and touch.