Draft:David Ellsworth

David Ellsworth (born June 25, 1944) is an American studio woodturner and educator, known for thin-walled hollow wooden vessels.

Early Life and Education

Ellsworth was born in Iowa City, Iowa. He first encountered woodturning in 1958 during an eighth-grade industrial arts class, where he crafted a walnut platter for his mother. After high school, he served three years in the U.S. Army, performing with the Army Air Defense Command Choir in Heidelberg, Germany.

Post-military service, Ellsworth pursued studies in architecture at Washington University in St. Louis (1965–1966) and fine arts at the New School for Social Research in New York City (1966–1970). He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture in 1971 and a Master of Fine Arts in 1973 from the University of Colorado at Boulder. During his graduate studies, he explored various media, including ceramics, cast metals, and polyester resin, which informed his later approach to woodturning.

Career and Innovations

In 1974, Ellsworth established the woodworking program at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado. The following year, he opened his first private woodturning studio in Boulder, Colorado. During this period, he developed specialized bent turning tools and techniques for creating thin-walled hollow forms, a method he termed “blind turning.” This innovation allowed for the creation of vessels with walls as thin as 1/16 inch, extending possibilities within woodturning.

Teaching and Influence

Ellsworth has taught at Anderson Ranch, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and Penland School of Craft. In 1990, he founded the Ellsworth School of Woodturning in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, later relocating it to Weaverville, North Carolina, in 2017.

Ellsworth was a founding member of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) and served as its first president from 1986 to 1991. He was named the organization’s first Honorary Lifetime Member, recognizing his contributions to the field.

Artistic Style and Philosophy

Ellsworth’s work is characterized by minimalist forms that emphasize the natural beauty of wood. His vessels often feature narrow openings and delicate walls, challenging traditional notions of functionality. He draws inspiration from Native American ceramics, the architecture of the American Southwest, and the inherent qualities of wood, which he describes as “the most perfectly imperfect material to work with.”

Exhibitions and Collections

Ellsworth’s work is included in the permanent collections of over 40 museums, including:

• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
• Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Victoria and Albert Museum, London

His pieces have been featured in solo and group exhibitions, such as “A Revolution in Wood: The Bresler Collection” at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Awards and Recognition

Ellsworth has received several awards, including:

• National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
• Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Fellowship
• PEW Fellowship for the Arts
• College of Fellows, American Craft Council
• James A. Renwick Alliance “Master of the Medium” Award (2009)
• Smithsonian Institution’s Visionary Award (2021)

Publications and Media

Ellsworth published the first article on hollow-form turning in Fine Woodworking magazine in 1979. He published an article on turning a pool cue under the pseudonym “Colorado Slim” in 1986. Ellsworth has written more than 50 tips, shop notes, and short articles for the publications of the American Assocition of Woodturners including American Woodturner magazine.

In 2008, Ellsworth published the book “Ellsworth on Woodturning: How a Master Creates Bowls, Pots, and Vessels,” offering insights into his techniques and philosophy. He has also produced instructional videos covering various aspects of woodturning, including tool use, shop setup, and hollow-form creation.

Personal Life

Ellsworth met his wife, Wendy, an accomplished bead artist, in Colorado in 1975; they married in 1980. The couple resides in Weaverville, North Carolina, where they continue to engage in their respective artistic practices.

Suggested Reading:

• Ellsworth, David. Ellsworth on Woodturning: How a Master Creates Bowls, Pots, and Vessels. Fox Chapel Publishing, 2008. ISBN 1565233778.