sharif adams
Hi and welcome. I handcraft simple wooden spoons, bowls and pots for everyday
use using age-old traditional tools and techniques. I sell my wooden ware at
artisan crafts markets and I teach to small groups or on a one to one basis. I
also work on a commission basis so there's always plenty to do. My interest in
working with wood started in 1998 when I studied violin making at London
Guildhall University for three years. I later went on to work with an antique
furniture restorer near High Wycombe. While I learned a lot from both these
experiences, it was not until I discovered the joy and creative freedom of
working with green wood that a little voice in my head quietly said, ‘this is
it!’. The bowls I sell are turned on a treadle lathe/pole lathe; an archaic
machine, simple to make and maintain, using human energy to keep the work piece
revolving. In the middle of winter the best way to keep warm is to turn a few
bowls. I cut all of the wood for my bowls and spoons with either a chainsaw, bow
saws or large one man cross cut saws. The tools I use for bowl turning are hand
forged. I enjoy forging almost as much as I enjoy working with wood. Sometimes I
carve bowls using the same tools I use for carving spoons; axes and knives, with
the addition of a small adze for hollowing. These are very different in form to
the turned bowls and usually I will only make these for sale on request. I do
all my work in an old Devon barn, on beautiful Dartmoor where I live. I love to
cook good, simple, healthy meals and enjoy foraging for wild foods. I’m always
well entertained; watching the wildlife in the woods is so much better than
watching the TV. In the evenings I enjoy playing my battered acoustic guitar or
the fiddle; the former less badly than the latter.
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