I talked to John Anderson at the Columbus Arts Festival 2023.

Tell me about your art journey?

I started in high school shop class. My teacher showed me the lathes and I I have done it ever since.

I notice a lot of things are spinning.

Everything looks better when you can see it all over.

Is there a type of wood you primarily use?

I use everything. Mostly hardwood. The harder the wood, the easier it is to turn.

How to you get the colors? Stain? Paint?

Stain is a dirty word. Everything is natural wood. I pick the woods for their color and their grains and then make the patterns with them.

How long does it take to complete a piece?

There is no typical time. I can do a little one in 20 minutes. A large piece takes about 2 months.

It depends on how many pieces and how intricate it is. A plain piece of wood using takes 4 to 6 hours.

Is sanding a good portion of the completing time?

No. For example it took me 2 months to put a piece together. I had it turned and a finish on it in a day. Call that 59 days of building and a day to get it turned and finished.