CMW ARROWMONT RETREAT
Carolina Mountain Woodturners
7th Annual Retreat
April 18th - 21th 2024
Registration Starts January 24 9:00 a.m.
REGISTER FOR ARROWMONT - FULL
Join us for the Carolina Mountain Woodturners’ 7th Annual Retreat. Seasoned CMW members know that our annual retreat is the highlight of the year for members who travel together to ARROWMONT School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN for 3 nights and 4 days of great woodturning and fun. New members quickly make friends and always report that their turning skills improved dramatically during the Retreat.
Classes are offered for beginning, intermediate, and experienced turners. Housing and meals will be on the ARROWMONT campus in Gatlinburg, TN. The event will be very affordable because instructors and organizers are CMW volunteers.
Participants will use large and midi-size lathes. Topics include sharpening, basic cuts, bowl-turning, threaded acorns, and a variety of turning projects. See the full class schedule below.
Two new highlights this year include:
• A class in forming and turning hybrid wood/resin items and,
• A class for all skill levels in carving/embellishing with micromotors (provided).
Sign Up Process:
Use links on this page to start your registration. After entering your contact information, you will select your first and second choice for classes in each time slot. Your requests will be held until you pay the $100 studio fee – you will receive an invoice a few days after you initiate registration. Classes will be assigned as “first come” following payment of the studio fee.
Registration starts January 24 and continues until all spaces are filled. Once filled, there will be a waitlist established in case vacancies open. CMW members have first dibs on spaces – and we expect to sell out again this year.
Class Schedule: See Below
Costs: The retreat is a very affordable way to learn new woodturning skills.
- Facilities Fee - $100 paid to CMW to cover the cost of the studios.
- Housing: Participants are encouraged to stay on the Arrowmont campus Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Evening gatherings on the porch are not-to-be-missed. See costs for room options below (due in early March).
- Meals: All participants pay $177 for Arrowmont’s meal package (9 meals). Due in early March.
- Material Fees: Students pay material fees to instructors at the retreat. Fees are usually $10.00 to $25.00 per class.
Housing and Meals: (Paid Directly to Arrowmont in March)
All registered participants will receive instructions to select and pay for Arrowmont housing and meals in early March. Housing will be in the New Dorm, Teachers, or Staff House. Housing and Meals will be paid directly to Arrowmont.
Discounted rates per person per night are:
Triple w/ shared bath $45.00 Single w/ private bath (New Dorm) $130.00
Double w/ shared bath $60.00 Single Apartments (Pollard) $130.00
Single w/ shared bath $75.00 Single Apartment (New Dorm) $200.00
Double w/ private bath (New Dorm) $85.00
For more information contact Kevin Felderhoff
After a day of woodturning classes, participants gather on the covered porch to strengthen friendships and enjoy the evening in the Smoky Mountains.
After a day of woodturning classes, participants gather on the covered porch to strengthen friendships and enjoy the evening in the Smoky Mountains.
Annual CMW Retreat Builds Community
AAW Journal February 2024 issue
2024 ARROWMONT INSTRUCTORS
Kevin Feldehroff - I take notice of the artistry in the imperfections of salvaged wood and seek to enhance the beauty inside each piece. The most interesting pieces are turned end grain and the most dramatic pieces come from logs or branches that have very irregular shapes, far away from round. Some of my favorite turnings are the flying winged vase and cowboy hats. The flying winged vase is turned down the end grain from a crotch so when turning the piece, it appears to have wings. Turning for me is stimulating and mentally challenging to analyze the rescued wood and calculate the best angle to mount the wood on the lathe. Besides turning, I also enjoy designing furniture and unique home decor. My curiosity and love for woodworking began in high school when I was taught woodworking techniques by my shop teacher. It was rewarding to me to rescue a gnarly piece of wood and unveil an exquisite piece of unique art. I enjoy giving back by sharing my knowledge and experience through demonstrating at wood clubs, art galleries and the internet.
Links
www.kevinfelderhoff.com
Kevin Felderhoff - YouTube
Kevin Felderhoff (@klfwooddesigns)
John Stiehler has been making things his entire life. He started woodturning in 2017 after retiring from a successful engineering career. In 2017 he joined the Greenville Woodworkers Guild and completed their Beginner Lathe Training so he could use the lathes in the shop. He also met other turners who were members of the Carolina Mountain Woodturners. He joined AAW and CMW in 2018. John took David Ellsworth’s 3 day class in 2018.
Attending the CMW monthly demonstrations, classes at the CMW Learning Center, the AAW Symposiums in Raleigh, NC and Chattanooga, TN allowed him to meet other woodturners and to learn new techniques.
Another important part of John’s learning was attending the CMW Arrowmont Retreat, where participant could learn new turning methods in the classes and to talk directly with other local turners. John has now been an instructor at the Arrowmont Retreat in 2022, 2023 and plans to teach again in 2024.
John enjoys turning bowls and hollow forms along with other gift items.
Currently John shares his knowledge with new turners by teaching the lathe classes and workshops at the Greenville Woodworkers Guild. The classes include Beginner Lathe Class, Sharpening Class, Beads of Courage Workshops and other lathe classes offered each month.
John helps to coordinate the Beads of Courage Bowl program at the Greenville Woodworkers Guild and Carolina Mountain Woodturners.
Christine Smith
Since my woodturning journey began in 2016, I've nurtured a passion for crafting natural and color-dyed cremation urns, hollow forms, and boxes, eventually transitioning to full-time turning in 2018. Guided by the skilled Dixie Biggs, I explored the world of painting wood and relief carvings, reshaping my work into more sculptural forms. My husband and I have proudly exhibited our creations at high-end art shows across the country.
During the pandemic, my skills expanded into bird carving, sparked by a fortuitous online class with Master Bird carver Floyd Scholz, where I learned to craft a chickadee. It was my vision to create hybrid sculptures, uniting turned local wood with intricately carved bird species for educational purposes.
My work seeks to unveil the often-overlooked beauty that surrounds us, whether concealed beneath tree bark or embodied in the birds we hear but seldom see up close.
My woodturning journey advanced through club meetings, the wisdom of fellow members, and my husband Jim's invaluable mentorship. You can view my creations at respected institutions like the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, the Folk Art Center in Asheville, and the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. Follow my creative voyage on Instagram @cvinternet3.
I'm excited to announce my upcoming class, 'Carving a life-sized Red-tailed hawk,' at the John C. Campbell Folk School in February 2024. I had the privilege of assisting Dixie Biggs in her relief-carving classes in 2022 and again in October 2023 at the John C. Campbell Folk School.
Over the past four years, I've shared my woodturning expertise through numerous demonstrations for our local club, the 'Brasstown Woodturners.' In March 2023, I showcased my seamless color-dyeing technique at the Carolina Mountain Woodturners club meeting.
Previously, I dedicated three years to serving as treasurer for our local club. My work received recognition and was featured in the 'Woodcarving Illustrated' spring edition of 2022.
In 2022, my life-sized Red-Shouldered Hawk carving secured 2nd place in the Beginner category at the national competition hosted by 'Wildfowl Carving Magazine.'
I am humbled to have had my woodturnings selected for the AAW newsletter and toolbox a remarkable 15 times over the last three years.
Notably, my life-sized Kestrel Hawk carving clinched the first-place award at the 2021 'Art in the Sun' show in Northport, MI.
About Bruce and Trish Pratt
Bruce and Trish collaborate on their wood designs, Bruce turning and Trish using surface design and resin infill techniques. Sometimes when we start a piece, we have an idea of what to shape, but the wood may take us in a different direction, telling us what it wants to be. Bruce has taught classes in Massachusetts and more recently Bruce and Trish have jointly done classes and demonstrations on resin+wood hybrids and other techniques. Their work has been sold in Chicago and at numerous shows on the East Coast. Their work is also in private collections and were featured in the Members’ Gallery in the August 2023 issue of American Woodturner.
For the resin-wood hybrids, we oven dry the wood and enhance the cracks and voids with angle grinder and rotary tools. We also use fragments of wood or cutoffs from other projects.
Trish selects resin colors to complement the natural colors of the wood, often greens, blues, copper or white. Colored powdered mica is used as the pigment, as it adds a luminous swirled figure to the piece. Collars, lids and finials may be created to complement the color and design of the pieces.
Mike Moore
Mike Moore is an accomplished woodturner that makes his woodturnings in his Asheville shop and sells them in North Carolina galleries and on his website. He also demonstrates woodturning at various forums to share his love of turning and educate current and future woodturners on his techniques.
Mike’s love for working with wood began as a teenager when he worked with his father to finish the woodwork on a home they were building. He has been building furniture and built-ins for the homes he has owned ever since. Mike branched out into woodturning in 2015 and has been hooked ever since.
Mike’s work is influenced by his career in precision machining and material science. This drives him to master the use of the various turning tools as well as experiment using multiple materials in his work. He is best known for his bowls that incorporate combinations of wooden branches and epoxy into his bowls. This began as a way to save beautiful pieces of wood that had cracked during the drying process but has evolved into the art form for which he is best known.
Mike shares his love of woodturning by demonstrating at local woodturning clubs, events and woodturning stores. He welcomes other turners into his shop to explore new equipment or techniques. He is also an active member of the Carolina Mountain Woodturners.
He is best known for his bowls with inlays but has a wide range of turning interests so you will see a variety of items on his website gallery (www.mmoorewoodturning.com).
Thom Crothers is an accomplished woodturner with over 18 years of experience in the craft. His passion for woodturning began as a hobby but quickly became a significant part of his daily activity.
Before his 50 year career in plastic molding and fabrication, Thom was a journeyman custom furniture maker and finisher. It was during this time that he solidified his love for working with wood.
Thom’s work is characterized by his attention to detail and his ability to combine traditional techniques with contemporary design. He is known for creating unique and innovative pieces both beautiful and functional. He enjoys experimenting with different woods, finishes and colors to create one of a kind objects.
Thom has shared his passion for woodturning with others by demonstrating his skills and techniques at local woodturning clubs and events. He enjoys mentoring and helping others develop their turning skills. Thom has also been an active member of several woodturning organizations including the American Association of Woodturners, Golden Triangle Woodturners of Denton, TX, and board member and past president of the Carolina Mountain Woodturners of Asheville, NC. Through these organizations he has been able to connect with other woodturners, learn new techniques and showcase his work in exhibitions and galleries.
Thom’s work has received numerous awards and has been featured in galleries and exhibitions around the country. He continues to pursue his passion for woodturning and looks forward to sharing his knowledge and creating beautiful and unique pieces for many years to come.
Jim Duxbury, woodturner and inventor, is the kind of guy who thinks and creates “out of the box.” His turnings are unique and he seldom turns the same thing twice. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he now resides in Graham North Carolina. With the help of his wife, Rita and inspiration from his pet parrotlet, “Bean” creativity abounds in his studio. Constantly improving and solving problems to make his skills more efficient and functional, he enjoys teaching others the craft of woodturning, woodworking, and kaleidoscope construction. He prides himself in creating wooden items of beauty that also are designed to function well. His fascination with wood and wood grains, from the most exotic to the common native varieties, and with the ability to employ the wood lathe and adapt tools, all lead to experiments of new and exciting ideas.
Jim’s kaleidoscopes are a signature item, custom designed, and the recipient of numerous awards. Each of his handcrafted kaleidoscope designs are made from carefully selected wood with custom object boxes, making these instruments a fascination and one-of-a-kind experience both inside and out. His unique designs and plans are sought after by woodturners, kaleidoscope collectors, and those with a fascination for the beauty and simplicity of a kaleidoscope.
Although Jim quit working in 1996 and claims to be retired, he has since obtained two U. S. Patents. The inventor of particulate dust respirators, his company, DUXTERITY LLC, markets the Resp-O-Rator™ and Elegant Creations, his gallery of fine wooden objects.
Rita Duxbury
A Massachusetts native, Rita now resides in Graham, North Carolina. With 40+ years as an educator coupled with 21 years as a US Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer, Rita has traveled the world, always ready for a new adventure. With an interest in woodturning, a keen appreciation for the beauty and qualities of wood, and with the mentoring of her husband, Jim, she has advanced from sweeping sawdust to creating her own unique wooden pieces. Rita and Jim team up to present demonstrations at woodturning clubs, symposiums and workshops throughout the country in addition to marketing of the Resp-O-Rator™.
Volunteers
Kevin Felderhoff Team Leader / Schedule
Tucker Garrison Schedule
Dawn Lytle Social
Laurie Lackey Equipment / Security
Gordon Gilomen Trailer / Equipment
Chuck Johnson Handouts
Randy Swing Announcements / Enrollment
Tim Tucker Trailer / Equipment
Steiph Zargon - Trailer / Equipment
Carolina Mountain Woodturners
American Associations of Woodturners
PO Box 16606, Asheville, NC 28806
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