Dick Sowa Woodturning Biography and Artists Statement

	Biography I retired in 2003, after a 30 year career as Civil Engineer with the Federal Government. I live in Dundee, MI with my wife. We have four grown children and three grandchildren. Woodworking has been in my family for generations. My father was a general contractor, and my grandfather was a master cabinet maker. My love for working with wood came from countless hours of watching and helping them. Later, as a young parent, I found it easier and cheaper to build much of the furniture my kids grew up with. While I enjoy all types of woodworking, my favorite is woodturning. Curiously, it is the only woodworking operation where the tool is held stationary, and the wood moves.

	Artist Statement Bowls and vessels made from a single piece of wood can yield some real surprises. Every knot in a tree and every crooked branch or burl brings thoughts of what discoveries await inside the log. All of my solid woodturnings are from logs that would otherwise be ground up for mulch, or relegated to a fireplace. Each log is turned to carefully coax out an unrevealed beauty from a discarded piece of wood. This gives the tree new life, and perhaps more appreciation than it had in the forest. I love the character that is uncovered, and can’t wait to see the beauty that lies beneath the bark. Discovering this hidden character provides much of the inspiration for my bowls.

	Segmented woodturning is sometimes called polychromatic woodturning. In its simplest form, segmenting involves gluing two or more pieces of wood together, and then turning a vessel from the glued up block. The resulting vessel can be virtually any shape and size. I often include decorative elements, feature rings, and details that are just not possible with solid wood. Inspiration for many of my segmented works comes from ancient pottery shapes, mathematical curiosities and knot theory, and common everyday items. I prefer working with domestic hardwoods, and choose wood whose colors and textures compliment each other. Finishes are selected to accent the grain and texture of the wood elements. As a retired engineer, I enjoy the challenge of designing and assembling complex vessel shapes. My goal is to create works that are beautiful to look at, and beg the question “how did he do that?”

	All of the walnut used in my segmented bowls came from an old farmhouse in Delaware, Ohio that my in-laws helped demolish back in the 1950's. The Cole family, one of the original settlers in the county, originally built the house that had to be removed to make way for the Delaware Dam. As salvaged wood, it is unique because it was probably harvested from native, old growth walnut trees in the early 1800's. The lumber is filled with old cut nails, rust stains, and rot from sitting in a barn for 60 years. My bowls often include some of those defects, as a reminder of the heritage associated with this wood.

	Gallery Shows and Exhibitions:
	My work has been displayed at: Two Sisters Gallery, Monroe, MI, 2009 Bedford Community Arts Council show, Bedford Library, Temperance, MI, 2009 River Raisin Gallery, Tecumseh, MI, 2010 American Association of Woodturners, 25th Anniversary Symposium Exhibition, St. Paul, MN, 2011, “Miniature Whisky Jug Cookie Jar” selected as part of Segmented Woodturners collaborative entry Bedford Community Arts Council show, Bedford Library, Temperance, MI, 2011 Monroe Magazine, Artists Showcase, 2012 Gallery 108, Dundee, MI, 2013-current