About Steve Forrest

A former RN and high school teacher, I am now focused on woodturning. Married, with two grown sons, I bring a highly varied background to my work.

I attended my first national woodturning symposium in 2012, which opened my eyes to endless new possibilities. In addition, I joined the Wine Country Woodturners, which has proven to be an inexhaustible source of knowledge, inspiration, and fellowship. These events launched my current involvement with woodturning. 

In 2016, I journeyed to Sheffield, England to learn more about woodturning tools, and wrote a brief account of my experiences. From this article has come another great development in my life, editing and writing about woodturning for American Woodturner magazine and the quarterly Woodturning FUNdamentals.

Notes on Turning

As a nurse and teacher, I mostly worked with, and on, people. Now it’s just me and a chunk of wood. Once in a while it is fine, clear stuff – but more often than not, it is gnarly, burly, riddled with bark inclusions, eaten by insects. I love the challenge of working with these orphan woods, of expanding my skills, and of developing my aesthetic sensibilities. And I especially love wood grain, with its infinite range of colors, patterns, and textures.

I am content to let the wood speak for itself, for the most part. Most of my embellishment, whether through color, decorative forms, or surface treatments, is minimal and restrained. I just don’t feel like I can do much to rival the beauty of figured wood. Instead, I am focused more on simple, elegant forms and vibrant figure, with limited points of contrast to heighten the effect. My goal is to make work that is simply beautiful, and that invites and feels good to the touch. 

I was honored to have my work featured in the page 1 Gallery section of American Woodturner December 2023, vol 38, no 6. Reprinted by permission of the American Association of Woodturners.