Catch woodturner Harwood at the farmers market every Saturday
Last Saturday at the downtown farmers market, you may have noticed a constant crowd around Ashley Harwood as she leaned over her lathe wearing protective headgear and demonstrated wood turning.
Shaves of spiraled wood and dust floated through the air as people watched her hold a flat piece of wood as it was transformed into an intricate ornament by the spinning lathe.
In Jaunary, Harwood went to the John C. Campbell Folk School in the mountains of North Carolina where she learned the sophisticated art of wood turning.
Ashley Harwood makes her art out of wood and demonstrates her process at the farmers market each Saturday.
Harwood creates one-of-a-kind wooden bowls that are as functional as they are beautiful.
About her pieces, Harwood said, "No two pieces are alike. You can't merely learn the steps (of wood turning) and repeat them over and over, because each piece will have its own subtleties and nuances. Bringing out the natural beauty is the ultimate goal, finding the delicate balance between function and art."
This past year, Harwood turned wood turning into her fulltime profession and started her own business, Turning Native LLC.
An environmentalist at heart, Harwood focuses on using woods native to North America and salvages trees from Charleston by working with an arborist from the city of Charleston to prevent the material from going into the landfill.
Next Events: Noon-6 p.m. Saturday, Best of the Best Artisan sale and show, 10 Storehouse Row at the old naval base; Saturday, opening reception for "Things," Eye Level Art, 103 Spring St.; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 19, downtown Farmers Market in Marion Square; 5-10 p.m. Dec. 8, Samos Taverna Art Night, 819 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant.
Web site: www.turningnative.com, www.ashleyharwood.com.
Contact Info: ashleyharwood@gmail.com, 412-716-3278.
Birth date and place: May 1982 in Marietta, Ga.
Residence: West Ashley, 2 1/2 years.
Family: Mother, Jan; father, Marcus; brother, Brian; grandparents, Wanda and Ray; cat, Baby; boyfriend/chainsaw man, Adam Brunelle.
Education: Bachelor of Fine Art with a focus on sculpture and installation, Carnegie Mellon University, 2004.
Goals: To continue improving my skills as a wood turner, be able to teach one day and inspire new wood turners of all ages.
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