Gene Colley – Wood Turnings (see #5 on map)

I began  woodturning at age 12 in my dad’s barn outside of St. Joseph, MO, making salt and pepper shakers and candlestick holders.  I would sell them to my mother’s friends to earn money to buy an electric guitar, which, to this day takes a back seat to woodturning.  I now have my own ‘barn’ outside of Dallas, TX and continue to turn, making artistic pieces as well as those that are functional.  I like to work with exotic as well as domestic woods.  Many pieces of my work have a star carved somewhere in them to symbolize my Texas roots.  As my forms progressed from lamps and candlestick holders to sculptural art, I learned better technique and formed a greater respect for the artistic aspect of turning by observing many of the Masters from the US and abroad.

I began integrating carving into my turnings in the late nineties as a way to enhance the design and make the pieces represent a thought or feeling. Sometimes I turn a piece of wood just to experience the stress relief of the shavings flying through the air and other times my goal is to shape a piece of wood into an idea or an experience in my life or someone else’s.  Yes, as unrealistic as it may sound, sometimes when I start turning a piece of wood, it will take its shape from how it looks and feels as it spins around on my lathe.

One experience that will always stand out as one of the most meaningful was when a Woman looked a piece called ‘An Empty Heart is a Broken Heart’ and before she even knew it’s name, she began to tear up and lightly sob and told me that it evoked an emotion that she had been experiencing recently in her life.

I know that instance was very rare, but one that I will always believe made me realize the impact art can have on the human heart.

Someday I hope to be able to spend more time creating pieces that decorate shelves or get passed around just to be touched, until then I cherish the time I have to take God’s medium of wood and make my version of art.

See more of my work here www.myturns.com