THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504250116
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 112 lines
Whether he's in surgery reshaping human bones or in his workshop at home turning a piece of spaulted sycamore into a fitted bowl, Tom Meade gets a powerful surge of creative adrenaline from working with his hands.
Although woodworking and surgery seem worlds apart, for Meade they're compatible counterparts that provide balance to his life.
``Turning is reminiscent of what I do in orthopedics, only the turning tools are a little more sophisticated'' in medicine, said Meade, a Virginia Beach surgeon. ``Wood-turning is an escape for me. I can go into my shop and forget all my worries. I just relax and have fun. If I had to make a living from wood-turning, it would be too stressful.''
But whiling away his free time shaping wood is something he loves to do.
An avid wood-turner for the last decade, Meade spends at least 10 hours a week working in a shop he built especially to house his lathes, saws and other woodworking tools.
``I used to work out of a one-car garage, but I soon overtook that,'' he said. ``I had to build a shop onto my house to hold everything.''
Over the years, he has filled his home and those of friends with his handicraft of finely turned and carved wooden bowls, dining room tables and Colonial hunt boards.
The public will get a chance to view Meade's work and that of about 30 of his fellow craftsmen from the Tidewater Turners of Virginia at the group's annual members show, beginning Saturday. The exhibit will be on display at Norfolk's Artifax Gallery, located at 1511 Colley Ave., through May 15.
After that, the exhibit will move to the Blue Sky Art Gallery on West Queen's Way in Hampton, where it can be seen until the end of May.
A non-profit group of about 96 members, the turners is a club that includes both hobbyists like Meade as well as dozens of the most respected professional woodworkers in the area.
``For me, wood-turning is a hobby that escalated,'' said Jim Brockman, a founding member of the organization who turned professional 12 years ago.
Now considered one of the most accomplished wood carvers and turners in the area, Brockman has been commissioned to replace the rotted architectural carvings on the Tudor home of the Hermitage Foundation and to do historic ship restorations at the Mariner's Museum and Jamestown.
He plans to display a carved mahogany wine goblet, a bubinga floral bowl and a black lacquer urn at the Tidewater Turners' show.
Before turning to woodworking to make a living, Brockman drove a taxi and did other odd jobs. Turning and carving were merely hobbies.
``I used to do it casually for a while, but now I'm doing it for money,'' said Brockman, who lives in the Pungo section of Virginia Beach, of his woodworking skills. ``The problem is now sometimes it's become work.''
Still, turning exotic pieces of wood still gives Brockman a ``wicked adrenaline rush.''
``There's a certain element of danger to wood-turning,'' he said. ``It's all a surprise. You never know what you'll find . . . maybe yellow jackets or ants, even.
``Some people say it's about creativity, but I tend to shun that term because it's sounds so artsy-craftsy.''
Fellow turner Philip Davidson puts it simply:
``Just to produce something with your hands is wonderful.''
Like Meade, Davidson is also passionate about a hobby that has attracted him since childhood.
``I've never been able to park a car in my garage,'' said Davidson, a 42-year-old psychotherapist from Chesapeake, ``because I've always had too much (woodworking) stuff in it.
``Even as a kid, I used to sneak in my father's shop and turn on the lathe in secret . . . until I bopped myself in the head one day. Then I got my own tools.''
A furniture maker since childhood, Davidson joined the Tidewater Turners a few years ago because he wanted to hone his turning skills. He discovered a wide range of skill levels among the craftsmen, and a willingness to share trade secrets with newcomers.
Since then, he has become an active member of the group, which meets monthly in Norfolk, publishes a newsletter and sponsors a range of skill workshops.
``Now I spend about 16 hours a week turning,'' Davidson said. ``I'm hooked. You can turn wood and see what you've made so much faster than making a piece of furniture. Whenever I go on vacations, I make sure I make a trip to the lumber yards to look for unusual wood to take home. And when my neighbor cuts down a tree, I might get a piece of wood and turn it into a bowl. I'm always on the lookout for exotic pieces of wood.''
His passion for woodworking has spilled over into his Chesapeake home, literally filling his bedroom, kitchen, dining room and other living areas. Among his finished pieces are a fiddleback walnut four-poster bed, a cherry bedroom set, cherry kitchen cabinets and other household furniture.
Like Brockman and Meade, Davidson will display examples of his work in the members show. ILLUSTRATION: This wooden vase made by Philip Davidson, a psychotherapist from
Chesapeake, is part of the exhibit.
Tom Meade, left, Jim Brockman, and Philip Davidson are among the 30
artisans of the Tidewater Turners of Virginia exhibiting in the
group's annual members show. The exhibit, which begins Saturday at
Norfolk's Artifax Gallery, moves to Hampton in mid-May.
Staff photos by
RICHARD L. DUNSTON
TURNING WOOD
The Tidewater Turners of Virginia meet the last Tuesday of the
month at the Henry Walke Co., at 1161 Ingleside Road in Norfolk,
from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Demonstrations and show-and-tell offering by members are held at
each gathering. Interested newcomers are welcome. Dues are $20 a
year, which includes a monthly newsletter. For more information
about joining, call the Henry Walke Co., one of the group's
sponsors, at 855-1071. Other sponsors are Norva Plastics and Yukon
Lumber Co.
by CNB