Ben Dick

Artist

I started turning as a hobby in 2009 when I joined the Middlesex Woodturning Association. I won competitions for my work both within the club and on external meetings.

In 2020 I was accepted onto the Register of Professional turners.

I undertake commissions and do most kinds of turning, making furniture and architectural parts.

I give woodturning lessons in my studio and travel all over southern England giving demonstrations. The work on display is mostly made for my own pleasure.

Many turners like their work to be brown and round. This is fine as there is much beauty in wood even lovely forms from quite bland timbers but I am at the head of a revolution. I love to use colour and texture the purists do not understand a piece of wood can be turned into a work of art using the simplest of colouring and texturing techniques.

I make use of pyrography (fire writing), acrylic paints, airbrushing, texture mediums, Ukibori, (A means of producing raised work on wood), carving and piercing.

Beautiful pieces can be created with the right combination of these methods.

My favourite techniques are Burning, (Deep burning on a fire adds colour and texture to work) and light burning which accentuates the grain so a contrasting grain filler can be applied.

My passion is to rescue a piece of wood from the fire and burn it Ha Ha! A useless piece of wood in the right hands can be turned into a work of art.

It it very exciting to open up a piece of timber and just enjoy what God has created inside.

It is like Christmas, when you cut into a quite ordinary blank and coax out the inner beauty revealing the spirit of the wood. I am a woodturner that is willing to take risks and explore and experiment with my work.

Sometimes you have a disaster but mostly you will walk into a new pasture and sense nature in a new way with all it’s beauty.

  1. This is an ogee bowl that is made from Sycamore and has painted sections on the rim. The central bowl has a variegated metal foil finish. It is for sale at £80.
  2. This bowl is made from Irish Elm. It has an undercut rim, and it is cut from a crotch in the tree which is where a branch joined the trunk. The movement of the branch creates stress in the timber which shows up as the beautiful figure that you see here. This bowl was the winner of a wood-turning competition and is for sale at £90.
  3. These potpourri bowls are made from L. Walnut and R. Ash they are finished with a pierced Pewter top featuring  Fairys and flowers. They sell at £30.
  4. These Mushrooms are made from Yew or Laburnum branch-wood and are different sizes and shapes so they are priced as marked starting at £10
  5. This bowl is 6” square by 3” high (approx) It is made from Green (unseasoned) oak A cube of oak 6x6x6 is burned on a fire-pit until it is well charred I then cut it in half to form two bowls The bottoms are finished and the bowls cut. The black surface is wire brushed and polished with boot polish the bottom and insides are finished with Microcrystaline Wax. Finaly a staple is added to stabilize the crack and for affect These bowls are perfect as a change and keys bowl for the man of the house and sell for £40.
  6. These small bowls are made from a small sycamore that was felled in Pinner, they  are decorated with Jo Sonja Iridescent acrylic paint, one is finger painted and the other rag rolled with bubble wrap. I sell these for £40.
  7. This is a novelty item. It is an acoustic amplifier for a mobile phone. It works on the same principle as an old gramophone. No batteries or power leads needed. This one is made from Western Red Cedar and has a crack that has been repaired with copper wire as a feature  (Not Shown), If you are in the shop try it. It really works, I can make these in several timbers  and they sell for £60.
  8. These shoehorns and back scratchers are from Mahogany and ash but I can make them for you from any timber. The working ends are interchangeable. They sell for £25.
  9. Another novelty item. These are Turmkreisel or in English tower tops. Toys of this kind are very popular in Germany. They are made from sycamore and are very simple to turn but the clever bit is the painting which is done in a home made centrifuge where they are spun at 3000 RPM to throw the paint spots up the stem.I sell these for £25.
  10. 10.These are Traditional Pepper grinders. They are made from Brown Oak. They have a small cup that they sit in so when they have been used they do not drop pepper onto the table or worktop. If you prefer you can grind directly into the cup. They have a quality mechanism that will give many years service and can be adjusted for a fine or coarse grind. These pepper mills sell for £65.
  11. The penguins are made from American Black Walnut and Sycamore they can be bought separately, although they do enjoy company. They are £10 each, The mouse doorstops are made from ash and have leather ears and tails and glass eyes. They are very friendly and will amuse your household pet until they work them out. They sell for only £15.
  12. 12.This enchanting little bowl is made from Iroko. A timber usually used for park benches as it is virtually rot proof and does not need painting. It is also known as poor man’s teak. However when it is turned the lovely grain figures show up in a way that is lost when it is used in straight sections. The band is carved and finished with Chameleon flakes which are applied in the same manner as gold leaf. The yellow rings are leather. They can be made in other colours or timbers to order. They cost £45.
  13. This is a selection of “Ben’s Pens” I make pens in many designs using timber, Acrylic, segmented timber, veneer inlays and sometimes with copper brass aluminium or Ivory details. My pens include slimline Biro type pens and the more expensive rollerball pens and fountain pens. On the right side there are three perfume pens. My pens are all supplied with a presentation box so they make good gifts as they range in price from £13 to £70 and will suit anyone’s pocket.

This is just a small sample of what I do. I am also a commercial turner and work on commission. If you don’t see what you want, or just want to know more, call or email me and I will give you an estimate for what you require.

I also teach woodturning and do introductory lessons which make a nice gift for a loved one.

I do Demonstrations for clubs and societies.

Contact me: Ben Dick RPT

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100031896806879

Contact

ben@wonderofwood.co.uk
https://www.wonderofwood.co.uk

Medium

Bio

I started turning as a hobby in 2009 when I joined the Middlesex Woodturning Association. I won competitions for my work both within the club and on external meetings...

Accepting Commissions: Yes

Commission Information

Contact the artist for more information