I first met Davis Ellsworth at the AAW symposium in San Antonio. Brad (from Wood World), my son Nate, then about 11 and I watched him demonstrate his hollow form tools as he easily cut away the waste to reveal a beautiful hollow form in the log. After the "show" as is customary, we went up to check it all out, and maybe eavesdrop a little on the masters.
Well
David had quite a group up there, about 20 people ogling and talking.
Here I was, a man whom I idolized for his abilities, in his aura. With
all these people around, David turned his attention to my son, gleefully
shoved out his hand and introduced himself. "Hi, I’m David
Ellsworth" he said. While my son, not realizing exactly who this
bearded man was, introduced himself, I was in awe. He shut out the
crowd, to meet my son.
At that moment, I figured that since I really could fly anywhere in the US to learn woodturning from anyone, thanks to frequent flier miles, I wanted to learn from him. The next year, instead of going to the AAW symposium, I spent the money on going to David’s for a class.
In the small town of Quakertown, Pennsylvania on a dark, tree covered road, is the home of David and Wendy Ellsworth. On 20 some odd acres of deciduous forest is a large open house, designed by David, two workshops, his –n- hers, a garage and some other assorted buildings. Another gentleman, and myself were the only ones that showed up the night before for the "getting to know one another" session.
To our luck, we would the only ones in
his class for the next three days. A 2 to 1 student teacher ratio! Well,
through out meals and
turning over the next three days, I can say that that first impression
of a genuinely caring and humble individual was dead on. You couldn’t
meet a nicer guy (teacher?). I would like to go back this year for round
2 of instructions. Where else can you sit in the "forest" on
his back porch, and have a beer with David Ellsworth. Bye the way, he is
also a founding, and lifetime member of the AAW.
By the way, his house is filled with art, in every medium, from the current day masters of their field. You see, David is called upon to be a jury member for art shows and to demonstrate quite often, and he picks up a little something every time. From a Sam Maloof rocking chair to a Vic Wood square edged platter, to an 8’ tall glass and iron sculpture, he has a heck of a collection.
Anyway, I e-mailed David with the idea of an email-based interview for this newsletter, and he cheerfully agreed. I will publish a few questions a month, for however long it takes to get it all out of my system. Could be a while. Starting with an impressive resume, and a few of the first questions. By the way, thanks David, and I hope to be back this year!
Steve: When you first started school, what did you plan on doing with a degree in fine arts?
David: I came from an academic
family, so it was assumed that I would teach sculpture, drawing and
design at the university level. Job. Security. Insurance. Benefits.
Family. Dog. Teaching was the primary goal of all MFA 
candidates…and
part of the origin of the endless controversy over whether universities
train students to become teachers or artists.
Steve: Was wood your first choice for a medium, and if not, how did you come to start working with wood and on the lathe?
David: I began working with wood in early childhood. Tree limbs and off-cuts from the boards my father used to build the mountain cabin in Colorado were my materials…along with nails, screws, wire, and the usual assortment of hand tools. Mostly I made containers for small animals I would catch, plus lots of weapons; bows, arrows, tomahawks, knives, whips, slings, rifles. It was part of the cowboy and Indian 'thing' of the '50's. I was always the Indian, so I also made leather clothing. To my playmates, I was always the "maker".Was first introduced to the lathe in the 8th grade, 1958. First project was a 24" diameter tray from 24 pieces of walnut. Turned avidly throughout high school, then stopped to do three years in military and eight years college. Worked mainly then in stone, metal casting and cast polyester resins. Turned off-and-on last two years of graduate school and in 1973, instead of a university job, I was hired by ceramist Paul Soldner to be the "Woodworker in Residence" at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado. Here I taught furniture design and construction (mostly by the seat of my pants), and developed the design for the salt-pepper-sugar shaker set that would become the production item I would support myself on for the next three years. Made about 5,000 sets. $18 per set, retail. Started working on the concept of "hollow forms" with bent tools in early 1975. There was no one to go to to study with, so it took me over a year of full time turning to develop the bent tools and learn how to hollow the shapes I wanted to make.