Eric Reeves

"As a wood turner, I am continually seeking the perfect balance between the forms I create and the natural beauty of the wood itself. And because all my profits go to humanitarian organizations, I always feel that the more perfect a wood turning, the more beautiful, the more I'll be able to alleviate suffering with my contributions."

Eric Reeves turns wood because he believes it is the most beautiful way to let wood express itself, even though he is ultimately imposing a form that is fully and consciously designed. A perfectionist, Reeves finds the tantalizing possibility of perfection in wood turning elusive, but at the same time, yielding beautiful work that has been taken as far as possible in any given wood turning.

Reeves uses techniques shaped by the extraordinary work of wood turners such as David Ellsworth and Bert Marsh. He moves in smaller dimensions than many turners, but these dimensions permit unusual techniques, including true inlaying of wood and metal in turnings, detailed lamination of woods, delicate finial designs, and hollow-form turning that requires only the smallest of openings.

Eric is entirely self-trained, although he is constantly seeking inspiration from other wood turners. He bought his first lathe as a teenager, and after a 25-year break for career and family, returned to woodturning in 1992, just in time to see the full emergence of wood turning as a craft art.