Judges

Kelly Dunn is an award winning wood lathe artist, specialising in woods from the Big Island and creates bowls, hollow vessels, and art forms full time for art galleries and collectors. He says of himself “I have an intense curiosity as to the workings of the universe and the mechanical and spiritual wherewithal that makes it function. I always hope to grow in my art as the evolution of my talent allows me.”

Melissa is a woodworker/sculptor in Asheville, NC, USA.  She has a BA in sculpture and is a graduate of the Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Program in furniture. Her work has featured in several magazines, is in collections across the US and local galleries. She works out of Grovewood Village, teaches nationally and internationally.

Graeme is best known for his sculptural turnings/carvings reflecting his life and environments. His work has been exhibited widely around the world.  He is very active in the woodturning world and commits his time to many creative endeavours.  He was instrumental in establishing the New Zealand ‘CollaboratioNZ’ Conferences in 1998. Graeme has demonstrated and taught at woodworking events throughout the world.

I am fascinated by the process of making things. I make bowls and hollow forms using a mixture of traditional and modern techniques. I use timbers sourced locally from sources with responsible attitudes towards management.  My focus is on form and simplicity, using techniques to highlight and complement the natural features.

Since discovering a passion for wood, Sally has rapidly gained an international reputation with her lathe turned and exquisitely carved vessels. Using English native timber, her decorative vessels have wide tops and small bases with elegant curves, rich in texture.

A professional turner living in Ontario. Although I do a lot of production and commissioned turnings, I also teach and demonstrate.  In the 40+ years of my turnings I’ve learned from many great turners.  I am always amazed by the variety of creations that can be produced from wood. 

A professional bowlmaker producing salad bowls burial urns, hollow forms, treenware, and more.  A style of work that highlights the wood sourced from local tree yards creating unique objects from wood that could not have been purchased by a sawmill. 

Now best known as a writer and teacher, for his books, videos, magazine articles, demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and his YouTube Channel.  But in the mid-1980s he had an international reputation within the crafts movement as a turner of fine bowls, boxes, and scoops, well before woodturning became the popular hobby and aspiring art form it is today.

A botanist by day and a part time woodturner in her spare time.  Her work has focused on surface enhancements that use botanical motifs. A botanical print motif of flowering stages of a plant, or maple or oak leaves, or inspired from cellular structures of plants. Or carving botanical designs into turnings in 3D. A goal is that avessel becomes a three-dimensional canvas.