Fine Wood Artists-John Shrader

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60 Rays to Please your Mother
This piece was a present to honor my parents 60th wedding anniversary. My family spent most of WW2 in various desert locations in the US southwest. My wife and I have vacationed many times in the same area, and I have embarrassed her repeatedly by stopping and cutting a sample of interesting wood. I incorporated some of this wood into the 60 rays (for the 60 years) in the platter. The center yin/yang pattern is made of desert ironwood and osage orange, two really tough native woods. One of my parents' grandchildren asked my dad if he had ever considered divorce. Dad replied "No, never. Murder a few times, but never divorce." My parents loved, hated, made good decisions, messed up, got knocked down, but always got back up. They persevered, they hung in there. I felt the intertwining of these two woods captured that essence of their union

John Shrader Kirkland, WA, USA

Contact
email: shraderorder@hotmail.com
website: crestcreations.net
phone: 425-653-3504

Artist Biography

I have made things with my hands as long as I can remember, such as model airplanes, jewelry, furniture, optical instruments, and most recently wood turnings. I retired from Boeing in 1998 where I was first an engineer and then a manager working with explosives, lasers, electric guns, advanced inspection techniques, etc. While I enjoyed my Boeing career immensely, I missed being “hands on” my last years as a manager. Shortly before I retired I started wood turning. About 6 years ago I ran out of friends and relatives to give my bowls to, so I started selling my work through local galleries. In 2008 my piece "Ocean Home" I won the Northwest Fine Woodworking 29th Annual Box Competition in both the juried and people’s choice categories.

Artist’s Statement

I try to convey a feeling of grace and elegance with my work. I love the richness of wood grain and delight in displaying it so others can also appreciate its beauty. While I find perfection admirable, for me it is the siren song leading to being safe, so I strive most of all for excellence. I utilize my background in engineering to facilitate executing difficult projects, but the technology is always subservient to communicating a feeling or an idea. For me, working in my shop a joyful experience. I hope that this joy is communicated to those who acquire my work, and that they share in it.