WLM | art
WLM | art
FINDING CREATIVE Connections in Wyoming
WORLAND ARTIST SAM ANGELO
The smell of my grandfather ’ s carpentry workshop still lingers a half-century gone -- the fresh-planed wood sliced so fine and long that the shaved pieces spiraled like Shirley Temple curls . To watch him work was to watch a craftsman . I thought of my grandfather when I first saw Sam Angelo ’ s wood bowls .
Angelo , who lives in Worland , Wyoming , has been transforming wood into utilitarian objects and fine art since 1988 .
Woodturning has deep roots in history -- ancient Egypt , Rome , Persia , China , England . When the industrial revolution took off in the 1800s , skilled woodturners were left in their own sawdust . It was not until the mid-20th century that woodturning revived as a cottage industry .
Wyoming has a craftsman mentality , where people still work with their hands . But rugged mountain ranges , long open spaces and sparse population can hamper learning from others .
By Ellen Sue Blakey , Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation Images courtesy Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation
Two years later , the group joined the American Association of Woodturners ( AAW ) as a sanctioned chapter . “ Now we have 10 or 12 faithful members . But we ’ ve had probably 50 individuals who have benefitted from the group over the decade .”
The Worland chapter received a grant from AAW to purchase a small traveling lathe and tools . “ The machine is loaned out to members not
Angelo ’ s “ cat ” has been featured in national woodturning publications . Angelo visualizes what he wants to accomplish before he begins on a large piece .
ready to purchase their own ,” Angelo said . “ That has helped us mentor a number of fledgling woodturners .”
“ My initiation into woodturning was a solitary endeavor ,” Sam Angelo said . “ I literally did not see anyone else turn for several years . Worse , I was turning on a worn-out , borrowed lathe that made the work harder . I often joke that I should have been injured or should have quit long ago .”
By chance , he stumbled on a copy of American Woodturner magazine at a newsstand . “ It was a real ‘ ah-ha ’ moment for me ,” Angelo said . “ I began to learn properly and safely .”
He attended symposia in other states , where he learned from some of the world ’ s best woodturners . In 2007 he started holding monthly meetings to build regional interest .
Angelo often incorporates features of the wood , such as holes or unusual raw edges , in his designs .
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