Matthew Hatala

The earliest known existence of woodturning comes from early Egyptian hieroglyphs. From ancient times t modern, from the recreational turning of the Renaissance man, to the turning of the early American, the lathe serves as a necessary machine of commerce and creativity The main thrust of my work if form and not function. The materials that I use are mostly wood, rare and domestic woods from all over the world, but you can also find stone, grass, nuts, seed pods, and plastics used in my work. The rough material is mounted on the lathe, a machine that spins the work in a circle on a horizontal plane. Then the process of truing the form begins. I then use hand tools to shape the outside as it spins, and then excavate the insides. If the wood is green it is roughed out to a thickness of _ and left to dry for 3 to 9 months. Then remounted and finished turned to desired thickness of 3/16 of an inch. The piece is sanded to a scratch less surface and then a finished is applied. The finishes I use are varied and many, oil, deft, wipe on varnish, c.a., wax, an waterlox, always looking for the most complimentary finish for each piece. I am a one-person studio, doing all aspect s of the design, execution and marketing of my work. My shop is always open to the public…just bring a broom!