Developing Your Own Style
Where do you start? How do you develop a style recognizable as your very own? Most well–known Turners have developed a very distinctive style over the years and that style is very recognizable. Stuart Mortimer is known for vases with the twisted form, Cindy Drozda is known for her elegant finials, Richard Raffin for his boxes, scoops, etc., John Jordan for his deeply carved hollow forms, Cynthia Gibson for her pyrography, Bonnie Klein for her chatter work tops, and so on.
Does that mean no one else can make any of these items? Certainly not! Truth be told if these master crafts persons didn’t learn how to do this entirely from someone else, they at least learned different elements and combined them into their own style. The Reference Manual puts it this way, “Ecclesiastes 1:9 KJV The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done : and there is no new thing under the sun.”
Harry S. Truman once said “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” I would like to suggest that you actually do try to duplicate pieces made by very talented individuals. Just give them credit and never try to pass it off as your own original creation, or as one of theirs.
Three real–life examples I can point to are these:
Bonnie Klein – excellent chatter work spinning tops. Bonnie published a book and gives detailed instructions on how she makes her fantastic spinning tops with chatter work. That’s where I learned to make my chatter work tops and I am quick to refer to these chatter work tops as Bonnie Klein style tops. I was actually at an event when Bonnie was there. I looked up from my demonstration to see Bonnie staring intently at my tops. I had told the crowd repeatedly these were in the style of Bonnie Klein. I said “Bonnie what you think? Did I get it right?” Bonnie answered “They were pretty good.” Whereupon I ask Bonnie to autograph a copy of her book right there in front of the crowd which she graciously did.
My friend, Morris Schlesinger, introduced me to making Mason jar lids. There is a free download at www.RonBrownsbest.com and the Gwinnett woodworkers Association posted a free video on YouTube films when I gave a presentation at their club. You can view the Mason jar lid video here. This is a perfect example of acknowledging and giving credit to the originator of a specific method or technique.
Another friend and Mentor, Don Russell, taught me how to make segmented vases and urns with unique and distinctive feature rings. I have adapted Don’s style in making my Fancy Christmas Ornaments so I always acknowledge Don’s influence when describing these items.
My counsel is this, don’t be afraid to emulate the work of Masters, there is a reason they are called Masters, just don’t try to pass it off as your own and be quick to acknowledge where you got the original idea. Mind your Mama and always do the right thing.
As time passes and after you have turned a sufficient variety of items, seemingly almost without effort, what you make will have evolved into “your own recognizable style”. There will be elements which you like and are comfortable adding, shapes that just seem pleasing to the eye and items that you never seem to get tired of making. I cannot tell you how long this will take or how many different styles you have to experience, but I can tell you that one day it will happen for you just as it has for other well–known turners.
Because “Wherever you go, there you are.”
Your friend, Ron Brown
