Gatting back to normal
Blog
As I'm writing this, on a warm Hawaiian evening, April 21st, 2021, I just thought that 2020 and part of 2021 are best to put them in the past, not to dwell on those hard Covid quarantines days. Hawaii was particularly hit hard. We depend on tourism so much that when the airport, hotels, and rental car companies, closed, we felt the isolation and showed us just how dependent we are on tourism. Before Covid, I used to average a visit a week from a turner, a family wanting to buy something, locals and visitors would come by the studio. I went 13 months without a single visitor. Last month I had my first class in over a year. It felt good to be back in action. Visitors are starting to come back. The silver lining of it all was if there is one that I did over 63 Interactive Remote Demonstrations! Some weeks I was doing 3 of them!
Blog 2021One of my favorite IRD's was one to 5 clubs that got together in England. Almost 150 attendees enjoyed learning about the history of the Hawaiian Calabash, how to turn one and how to apply pewa patches. I turned many pieces, rough turned and some to completion, but since the art gallery was closed, I did not do much sanding. I have over 200 bowls, calabashes, platters and more, ready to finish. Since many of us are getting vaccinated, we aim to restart the Maui Woodturners Association in-person meetings in July! And that is the best news I have heard in a long time! Don't forget to stop by and say hello when you come to Maui! I always have some time for a fellow woodturner. Last week I had the good fortune to spend the day with someone that now I can call my friend: Pat Simmons, founding member of the famous rock and roll band the Doobie Brothers. My good friend Wayne Omura helped removed an old Koa tree that was sadly past it's prime, infested by termites. We recover a lot of good wood!
Keep the shavings flying; stay safe. Aloha
Pat Simmons, yours truly and Wayne Omura. Look at the load of Koa!
Better late than never!
I have been working on my website lately. A lot of changes. Fewer links for more accessible and less confusing navigation, more pictures, updated pages everywhere. The most significant change you will notice is that now you can sign up and pay for my private remote interactive demos. I will be doing my first open to the public demo this Saturday, August 1st, 2020. the response has been great. It's keeping me busy, answering all the emails, and ensuring everybody get all the resources mailed. You will also notice that I have added some items to the online store. I can also add something there if you order something and want to pay me that way. I'm thankful that my studio is located here at home. The Island looks a bit empty without the tourism that we are used to having. Sadly, the Maui Crafts Guild, Maui's oldest owner/artist operated art gallery, had to shut down. That's where I have been selling my art for the last few years. At this moment, we do not know when they will reopen. Thankfully, I have been busy doing a lot of remote demos and selling quite a few pieces of art, directly from my studio. Who could have predicted that Maui's biggest industry, tourism was going to shut down for months due to a virus? I sure do hope that things get back to normal soon.
Meanwhile, if your club is looking for a remote demonstrator, send me a message. I have done over a dozen "The Hawaiian Calabash demo" these past few months, with lots more coming. The demo has evolved into a 3 part demo. I start with the history of the Hawaiian calabash. I then show how I turn a low sided, side grain, and round bottom calabash. I then finish applying some pewa patches to a bowl. I hope to see you on my next demo!
Stay safe, make lots of shavings. Aloha from Maui
Made the cover of the best Woodturning Magazine in the world! July 2020