“There are many
opportunities
for creativity:
carving, sculpture,
piercing, staining,
and painting,”
she says. LeGwin,
whose father was
a woodworker,
maintains anyone
can learn to turn
wood.
EMALE WOODTURNERS are still in the minority because
of misconceptions about intimidating equipment and tools, but
LeGwin works to dispel this myth. It can be physically demand-ing,
but she says for women it’s not how big your lathe is or how
many tools you have, it’s more about the artistry.
“There are many opportunities for creativity: carving, sculpture,
piercing, staining and painting,” she says.
LeGwin, whose father was a woodworker, maintains anyone
can learn to turn wood.
“If you came for a lesson, you would have a product within half a day and, with prac-tice,
would develop intermediate skills within six weeks to six months,” she says.
LeGwin took up woodturning as a hobby after retirement, but it’s turned out to be
more of a second career. She also became a pioneer of sorts. She was the only woman
in the WAWA when she joined, and became a founding member of the “Women in
Turning” committee for the American Association of Woodturners (AAW). She served on
the board of directors for AAW and is still an advisor.
Other female woodturners are now stepping up. Scarlett Rouse was the first
female professional demonstrator from the WAWA to present at the North Carolina
Woodturning Symposium in November.
Her presentation, “Woodturning Therapy with a Twist,” reflects her interest in help-ing
children with critical illnesses. Rouse volunteers her time and resources to Beads of
Courage. The program gives beads to children after surgery or when they complete a
treatment like chemotherapy. Woodturners make specially designed boxes for them to
store their beads.
“Each box is made a certain size, but they can be different shapes or have different
designs to make them individual,” says Rouse, who donated her first boxes to one of the
seven participating hospitals in North Carolina in June 2016.
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WBM february 2018