Sally Burnett

Woodturner

©Sally Burnett

©Julie Dearden

Ethical, eclectic woodworking

Sally learned from master Tracy Owen in the UK
Her works are featured every year at Maison et Objet
She only started working with wood in 2012

Wood wasn't Sally Burnett's first love. She initially trained in 3D design and specialised in creating hand blown glass vessels and large ceramic installations. In 2012, by chance, she tried working with wood. Three years after that, she opened her workshop in Newcastle-under-Lyme. “I draw inspiration from observing textures from the world around me, by exploring historical references and from the structure of architecture,” she says. “This is a real eclectic mix, but absorbing these many references gives me purpose when I experiment with texture and surface.”

Interview

©Julie Dearden

©Julie Dearden

Why did you change from glass and ceramics to wood?: In 2012 a friend gave me his old lathe and once I started to turn wood, I was hooked. It was the beginning of a wonderful journey. Later I was awarded a bursary from the Worshipful Company of Turners, and this gave me the confidence to become a full-time maker in wood.
Your choice of shape and form is not typical of woodworking...: Many people think that my work is ceramic so perhaps this has influenced my choices. Large open forms are certainly not the norm for a maker of turned wood. It is a challenge to find large, native trees and once turned, to have them dry without cracking.
Where do you source your wood?: I try to use native, ethically sourced, local ‘green’ wood. It means that all the timber I use comes from trees felled locally where possible, mainly due to storm damage or necessary land clearance.
What are your favourite techniques?: I explore the natural properties of wood using a woodworking lathe and traditional chisels and gouges alongside modern techniques and tools.

Sally Burnett is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2012