Patrick Horsley

Silver and Wood

Woodturner

A life's journey towards astonishing stems

Today Patrick makes remarkable wooden goblets, though he used to make harpsichords and furniture
He glues squares of different woods together, before proceeding with traditional woodturning techniques
He is entirely self-taught in woodworking and woodturning

Patrick Horsley handcrafts delicate wooden goblets from various woods in his workshop in Cambridgeshire. He was brought up on a boarding school campus in Berkshire, England, where his father was a teacher, and a watercolour landscape painter. Patrick began crafting furniture, out of necessity, for his first home in the late 1960s. His passion grew when he built his own harpsichord, and he eventually made several. Ever since then, he has maintained a wood workshop, alongside a diverse and remarkable career across various roles. In the mid-1980s, Patrick discovered the lignum vitae wood, with its black splash in the centre and made his first set of goblets. To imitate the appearance of this rare wood, he has experimented with gluing different woods together to allow each wood to show its distinctive grain and colour when turned.

Interview

What is your basic process?: I choose an interesting wood for the central column of the goblet, and then I build outwards, gluing squared sticks of wood together. Then I turn the wood, working from the top of the goblet downwards to the base. I sand the entire piece by hand. And to finish, I either wax or apply clear varnish.
What materials do you use?: Originally it was the beautifully named lignum vitae, Wood of Life. I have been collecting wood for a long time – homegrown woods such as yew, poplar, oak, ash, and boxwood. Olive wood is good for turning, and it contains some oil, which makes it resistant to water.
Is the final piece planned or do you reach it organically?: I generally do not start with a preconceived notion. I see my work as being about finding nice shapes in the wood, and letting the grain of the wood tell me what that shape wants to be.
Do you ever look for inspiration?: Sometimes I see goblets in paintings. For instance, I recently went to Italy, and while looking at the works of female painters such as Gentileschi and Plautilla Nelli, I saw a beautiful goblet in a painting of Plautilla Nelli. I chose to make one like it once I was back at my workshop.

Patrick Horsley is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1972