The March/April 2019 Display Gallery exhibit has opened – Wood Turning by Richard Herklotz. The exhibit is on display through April 30. The Display Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the Smyrna Public Library.
Display Gallery exhibits are organized by the Friends of
Smyrna Library.
Artist Statement
I was born in Glen Ridge N.J. and grew up in the small town
of Basking Ridge, N.J. I graduated from Ridge High School in 1966, attended
Davis and Elkins College in Elkins W.V. for 2 ½ years. I entered the Air Force
in April of 1969, after basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas, I served at
Travis AFB, California and Yokota AFB, Japan, during the Vietnam conflict. I
was stationed at Dobbins AFB in 1971 and met Elaine in 1972 while there. We
married in July of 1973 and remained in Georgia.
I have always enjoyed working with wood, building several
items for our first house. I inherited most of my father’s power tools. Among
those tools was a Sears lathe and a few turning chisels. I experimented with
the lathe and was able to turn some nice pieces from wood found in the firewood
pile or limbs fallen from trees in the yard. I now have a much better Poolewood
lathe and am able to turn larger and more intricate pieces.
Turning has become a joy for me. It is fascinating to watch
as an ugly piece of log becomes a thing of beauty as spins on the lathe. Most
of the wood (90%) I use comes from the Cobb county area. Many pieces are where
I have seen a pile of limbs left by the road for the city or county to get.
Friends and co-workers have brought me pieces of eastern red cedar, wild
cherry, crab apple and other woods from the North Atlanta area, Tennessee,
South Georgia and even Oregon. I still have a few pieces of black walnut from
my father-in-laws farm in Tallapoosa, Ga.
You can reach him at herkit@bellsouth.net
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