Rob Smith's Album

I am new to the AAW Forum so I wanted to give you a background of my work and life. I realized around the age of 24 that I was going to spend my life as a poor and under fed adult if I wanted to persue art as a profession. So, I got a degree in chemistry and went to work for a Texas gulf coast oil refiner. After almost 10 years there I got a job at Oak Ridge National Lab as a research associate. I've been there for 30 years and am still working full time. I had done ceramics for many years and had just become uninspired by my work in clay. So around 7 years ago I bought a Jet 16X42 lathe and started turning. I experimented with about a dozen bats using maple, ash, and birch. From there I started making bowls. I took a week long class from Rudy Lopez at Arrowmont and learned a great deal. Since then, I've tried to take a class at least once a year at Arrowmont since it is so close to my home. I joined the local woodturners club, Smoky Mountain Woodturners and have gained a great deal by doing so. The Covid pandemic has dramatically affected mine and my family's lives along with everyone else in the world. But is has opened opportunities for online activities and events that before we would have never even considered. Even so, I grow weary of working nights in fear of infection so as to avoid possible contact with anyone. Not being able to play tennis. Not being able to travel. But I am thankful that I have a lathe, wood, and electricity. And now, the AAW Forum.