Ruth Mae

Woodturner
The bowl form holds, for me, a love and fascination which I hope to communicate through making work with a dynamic which brings life to the vessels I make.
I mainly use Scottish grown hardwoods, sourced from windblown trees or sustainable sources. Some of my work is turned initially from unseasoned timber, particularly when I make delicate, thin walled bowls. These pieces, I turn to finish and allow to dry naturally.
I may also add definition or texture to a piece by forming fine grooves, texturing or ebonising the wood, utilizing the naturally occurring tannin in certain timbers. Whether I am making bowls for everyday use or more decorative pieces, I aim to produce strong yet graceful shapes with clean and simple lines.
I came to bowl turning via many years of work as an artisan/architectural woodturner in Bath and Glasgow: my work included producing high-quality turnings for stair balustrades, mainly for restoration of listed buildings, both public and domestic. I feel that this experience, and the craft discipline required in architectural turning, has given me a firmer grounding for my development as a bowl turner. Although I need to approach my bowl making with a certain discipline, I also delight in the greater freedom which comes from working with the wood in a more natural and creative way.
I work from converted farm buildings on the Isle of Arran. I exhibit and sell my work from here as well as through galleries UK wide.