Steven Potts

Steven Potts is an artist raised in Jackson, and now residing in Chattahoochee Hill Country – a city in metro Atlanta, Georgia. He started turning wood about three years ago, after being inspired by a local artist he discovered on one of his many trips to the North Georgia Mountains. He watched the artist turn for nearly half that day. Afterwards, he ran home and bought a lathe from a local store and rest is history. Many lathes and many tools later, his artwork has evolved into a true talent in the area of wood sculpture. Steven uses unusual, rare domestic and exotic woods to make his unique artwork. He enjoys adding patterns and textures to the pieces. He also likes to use a variety of natural ornamentation on the vessels. Exotic wood finials, fossils, minerals, vines, bark, and dried organics from all over the world are used to make many of his pieces a special work. The glasslike finishes on Steven’s pieces are made by using string music lacquer, the same finish that is used on violins and pianos. This finish will not crack, but move as the wood moves, insuring that the sculpture will last a lifetime.“Turning wood has become a passion that truly consumes me. Every log, every branch has a story to tell, and if I can save it to show everyone how beautiful the tree really was- not just what you see on the outside, but on the inside- then I will have done my job. Trees are living organisms that at one time or another had purpose in life. Whether it was to give a family needed shade or animals needed food. So now even when its life has ended, we can preserve it, and it will continue to live, and show its beauty forever.”