Mydock – Wood Lathe Artist
Growing up in Miami with a woodworker, boat-builder godfather, I was exposed to excellence and attention to detail that continues to challenge me as I strive to improve my craft. My love of working with wood, combined with 40 years as a professional Artist, has brought me to my current passion of placing the “Mydock Touch” on wooden vessels.
The American Association of Woodturners and Big Island Woodturner clubs have provided the framework for understanding this amazingly addictive art form. After turning a vessel, I choose between two embellishing techniques. The first process I call “Pearlizing;” where I airbrush the vessel with multiple layers of a high quality catalyzed urethane, then buff and polish it to a mirror finish. Embedded within these layers are a blush of pearlized colors, sometimes enhanced with pinstriped and gold leaf designs.
The second type of embellishment is “Pyrography,” which is basically good old fashion wood-burning with tools far more sophisticated than those of our childhood craft projects. The process of learning to embellish with pyrography on wooden vessels has rekindled my excitement and love of drawing. It literally allows me to draw with fire; and has helped hone my drawing skills ... there is no erasing a mistake once it has been burned.
I live on the “Big Island” of Hawaii in my studio home with my wife, surrounded by family and Artist friends, where it is second nature to “breathe in Inspiration and breathe out Creativity.”