Ann Adams--Wood Turnings

Ann Adams can be reached at 505/384-5442 or ann@sustainingart.com. To see her Wood Turnings, click here.

Ann Adams was born in Huntington, West Virginia, but spent most of her childhood in northwest Ohio (with a brief stint in Berkshire, England). After graduating from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio with a BSEd in English Education and a minor in Women’s Studies, Ann went on to earn her PhD in American Literature at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She then moved to Springfield, Ohio to teach American and Women’s Literature and Composition at Wittenberg University.

Ann moved to New Mexico in 1993 with a desire to earn a living from her writing and woodworking. As an apprentice for world-renowned wood turner, Bud Latven, Ann learned the art of woodturning. She works with both single species woods (particularly burls), and constructed exotic hardwood bowls.

“I like to explore the boundaries of the single species wood, both the burl blanks and the found wood. People have been incredibly generous in sharing the wood they have found to be special on their land. They don’t want it to end up as firewood because they see the inherent beauty of the wood, so they offer it to me. Likewise, the burls are so unique in their patterns and idiosyncrasies, that you really have to pay attention to what shape of bowl they are dictating and the thickness of the walls.”

“The exotic hardwood bowls really require a certain level of patience and persistence for me. The exactness of the construction and the turning has a very Zen-like quality to it. With those forms, I try to create an elegantly simple form, taking my inspiration from Japanese lines, so that the form highlights the beauty of the wood. I work with natural finishes to further accentuate the wood’s grain.”