phor is a beautiful wood , if you can stand the smell .”
Tolar prefers to sustainably salvage fresh wood – such as limbs or trees knocked down by a storm – whenever possible . Creating platters and plates demands drier wood , and for these projects he sources from a mill in Quincy , Florida .
“ There are different processes for turning fresh green wood versus dried wood ,” he said . “ A lot of folks give their bowls a rough turn while the wood is still green , and they leave enough thickness on the walls of the bowl to allow for further turning . When the bowl dries and warps a bit , the turner goes back with their chisel and lathe to get that bowl back to a round shape . “ Some artists turn their wood to its final form while it ’ s still green . If or when it warps later , they say : fine , that ’ s part of the art , part of the character .”
Asked if he has any goals for his work , Tolar replied : “ I ’ d still like to get a place set up to showcase some of my work . I ’ ve had a few pieces on display at the Arts Center , and I ’ ll have more of my work in the AHA Tallahassee Gallery in Havana , Florida from November 11th through December 23rd . The gallery is located at 307 North Main Street in Havana and will be open every Saturday from November 12th through December 17th from 10 a . m . to 4 p . m .”
Tolar is a member of three woodworking groups : Little River Woodturners , North Florida Woodturners , and The American Association of Woodturners . Through these organizations he has access to literature , videos ,
“ I think life would be very boring without art .”
live demonstrations , and discussions of woodturning and related subjects , which provides avenues to expand and perfect his craft .
“ I ’ ve made friends through the different wood turning clubs I ’ m a member of ,” he said . “ I think , or I hope , that art and artists can help draw a community together . If art isn ’ t a part of the community , it needs to be . I think life would be very boring without art .
“ There ’ s a question that comes up a lot in the woodworking community : Is our work an art or a craft ? I think if there is a difference , it ’ s a very fine line . I don ’ t think you can have one without the other , you can ’ t have art without craftsmanship and vice versa . A craftsman has to have some artist in him to create . And that artist has to have some skill and craftsmanship – he or she has to know where to chisel , where not to chisel , and how .”
JANUARY 2023 MoultrieScene 33