Turned Wood Vessels by Gary Raines

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Gary Raines is passionate about displaying the natural beauty and uniqueness of wood using classic shapes.  He prefers forms, textures, and weight that make you want to explore the object with hands as well as eyes. This includes incorporating natural cracks, inclusions, tension, and “imperfections” into the design as they occur in the natural wood. He works mainly with green, salvaged North American woods. Turning green wood can lead to interesting shapes and wrinkled textures as the turned form dries, adding interest and surprises to the objects.

As a retired geologist, Gary has a unique understanding of the three-dimensional form of the rocks in the earth. His interest in three-dimensional forms was stimulated in middle-school wood shop where he discovered the woodturning lathe and a life-long love of wood. When he retired from his career in geology, he turned his focus on woodturning, exploring wood, and natural forms.