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Taking His Turn
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: May - 2022
For Madison Minus, the artistry lies in revealing the beauty and mystery embedded within a block of wood.
Madison Minus grew up in an enthusiastic wood-working family. But there came a magical day when this 2-D craftsman turned into a 3-D artist.
That was the moment, after watching scores of online wood-turning videos, he committed to a lathe purchase. Since then, he’s filled his studio and sales displays with everything from utilitarian to art exhibition pieces: vases and hollow forms, bowls, spurtles (round stir-sticks for soups and porridge), wine bottle stoppers, rolling pins, and more.
This young Highlands native has already lived in Vietnam, Thailand, and Australia. He knows wood worldwide, though it’s only here that his art matured.
He says, “While I’ve enjoyed my adventures, I am the happiest I have ever been right here, turning wood.”
Madison is fascinated with wood.
“Wood’s wonder is hiding behind the bark,” he says. “I am always amazed by its configurations, particularly within the burls. Burls are knots on the tree’s exterior. When turned, mind-blowing abstracts in the grain are revealed. Sometimes burls remind me of faces or other iconic images. Wood’s color, smell, and texture intrigue me. Revealing the secrets inside a block of wood as I shave its layers is soul-satisfying. It’s a harvest of design, and I can’t stop smiling at the revelations.”
He works primarily with local, already down wood. In case you thought a turned bowl was a single afternoon creation, it is much more than that.
First a green (fresh wood) block is placed on the lathe and shaved down to a basic form. It’s then coated in wax to keep the wood fibers moist and avoid cracking.
“I weigh it fairly often to see if the weight lightens,” he says. “When the numbers stop going down, I know it has dried. Then it is ready for the final phase of turning and finishing.”
One of his favorite life refrains is: Progress, not perfection.
You can see some of Madison’s creations at Instagram: @madison_minus. You can email him at [email protected]. You can purchase his work at Secret Garden Restaurant and Unfurl Massage and Bodywork in Highlands. Inquire online for a studio appointment.
by Donna Rhodes
