Yasuhiro Satake, Japan

Yasuhiro is a woodturner with a truly international reputation, and is much sought after to demonstrate at events worldwide, and by agreeing to demonstrate his craft at the AWGB seminar he offers our members a rare and exciting opportunity. 

Yasuhiro works in the traditional Japanese method of turning and finishing, and much of his style and technique, and even the lathe he uses, will be new to UK turners. Yasuhiro has previously been the subject of a two-part biographical article, written by Bill Tingey, in the UK publication, Woodturning (issues 150-151), and members may wish to review this article for further insight into what might be expected of Yasuhiro's demonstration.

Bonnie Klein, USA

Clay Foster, USA

Clay was born in 1954 in Austin, Texas and currently lives near Krum in the same state, with his wife Penny.   Clay has been involved in woodworking for 43 years.   He is a founder member and past vice-president of the AAW.   As a well respected artist/woodturner his work is included in many collections around the world.  He is well known for his method of creating multiple axis hollow vessels and for his technique for producing two piece hollow vessels.   He also uses a number of different methods to produce unusual surface decorations.

Michael Hosaluk, Canada

Michael was born in 1954, (the same year as Clay, the sap must have risen particularly well that year), in Invernay, Saskatchewan, and is an entirely self-taught woodturner.   His work covers a wide range of objects and materials including functional vessels, furniture and sculptural pieces.   His work is humorous and elegant, possesses character and gesture and is full of reference to architecture, nature and culture.   Michael's work has been exhibited throughout Canada, in Europe, China, Japan, Australia and the United States, there is even a piece in the permanent collection in Buckingham Palace.

Michael is particularly looking forward to re-acquainting himself with "the warm beer".

Petter Herud, Norway

Petter is a professional turner who lives in the countryside outside of Oslo, Norway.   He is a versatile turner, creating gallery quality work in many styles from vessels and goblets to hollow forms and carved spirals.   In some of his work Petter mixes a variety of wood with silver metal.   His specialty is off-centre turning and hand thread chasing as illustrated by his signature boxes with multi-faceted exterior surfaces.  Petter has travelled the world as a demonstrator, leaving behind almost 400 inspired students.

Jean-Francois Escoulen

Jean-Francois was born in 1956 on a heap of wood shavings, and learned woodturning from his father who is a master craftsman "Meilleur Ouvrier de France".   At the age of 16 he obtained his first degree in woodturning.   In 1979 he set up his business with his cabinet maker wife, Monique, near Puy Saint Martin where he now lives and works.   In 1987 he was one of the first craftsmen to open his workshop to teach woodturning to amateurs.   He has taught, helped and inspired many professional woodturners.

On the creative side, he has developed a technique and a specific chuck for turning off-centre.   His work is a constant exploration of how to defy the laws of balance on the theme "balance in imbalance".   During the last few years he has started associating traditional woodcarving to his turning in new forms of fantastic animal shapes.

Stuart Mortimer

Stuart was born in 1942 and educated in Aberdeenshire in Scotland; he spent his "working life" in the police force and now lives in Hampshire.   He has been turning since 1968 and is self-taught; he has won many awards for his work and has built up an international reputation.   He is highly regarded by his peers and collectors alike, he writes, teaches and demonstrates throughout the world.

Robin Wood

Robin specialises in turning bowls on a traditional pole lathe and researching the history of the craft of turning.   His replicas of historic bowls are used by many museums, from the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace to the Globe Theatre and the Mary Rose Trust.   His book "The Wooden Bowl" is the standard work on the early history of woodturning based on extensive research and with a host of photographs of early bowls from archaeological sites.   Robin rediscovered the lost techniques of pole lathe bowlturning and particularly those of turning nests of bowls using curved hook tools which he forges himself.   He has been turning bowls for a living for more than ten years and derives most of his income from production work rather than teaching or demonstrating.   Whilst he has supplied many high profile museums most of his bowls and plates are sold for people to use.   Thanks to designer wife Nicola he has sold bowls successfully from his informative website since 1998.

Jules Tattersall

Jules was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, in 1955, educated at Holyhead County Secondary School and then at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, where he studied Social Geography.  Whilst at college, Jules gained his pilots licence, funded by seasonal work as a barman on the Irish Sea ferries.   After leaving college in 1978 he travelled widely, pursuing many varied occupations, including trawling and time as a boatyard foreman in Australia.

He began woodturning in 1984 whilst living in Australia, and was influenced by the quality and style of work produced by contemporary Australian turners.   In 1987 he returned to the UK and the Island of Anglesey, North Wales where he now lives and works.

Jules strives to produce work of which the form, texture and overall balance may be at once both stimulating yet soothing. He enjoys simple shapes and, where appropriate, uses natural features and various techniques to give each piece its visual and tactile character.  Jules is particularly well known for his work with reclaimed timbers, such as Oak railway sleepers and Australian Jarrah fence posts.

Over the past years he has produced work for many galleries and private clients in the UK, Europe and the USA.   He has exhibited widely and had his work featured in a number of publications.   More recently however, he is enjoying the challenge of creating gift ranges for a much broader market and says that he feels comfortable producing work that is generally more accessible.    He feels that an emphasis on good form and pleasing tactile quality will endow even the simplest piece with a timeless appeal.

Simon Hope

Simon was introduced to woodturning at school at the age of eleven, a time at which the prospect of earning a living from woodturning twenty years later seemed a long way away.   At the age of 26 Simon was accepted onto the Register of Professional Turners, one of the youngest at that time.  

Five years on Simon now enjoys a variety of different aspects of woodturning amongst which are teaching, demonstrating, making and repairing Great Highland bagpipes and artistic and commercial turning.   Simon is currently working with pewter casting to enhance his wooden turnings and is developing a range of platters rimmed in contrasting timbers.

Les Thorne

Les is 38 years of age and is married to Liz and has two sons aged 13 and 11.   He has seven years experience of demonstrating various products at all the national woodworking shows.   He was accepted onto the Register of Professional Turners in 2001.   Today the majority of his income comes from production turning, but what he enjoys most is teaching, seeing the same students over a period of time and watching their gradual progress and improvement he finds to be extremely satisfying.   When demonstrating he likes to emphasise good tool technique in particular, he says "Once this is mastered you can achieve the standard of work that you are happy with, the process should be as enjoyable as the finished result."