We recently connected with Anne Zaug and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Anne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

When I first started working on a lathe, I knew absolutely nothing about it. I turned for a year on my own trying to figure it out. I wasn’t horrible. I made things. I sold them. But I was slow and inefficient and sanded way too much! After a year, I signed up for a 3 day class in South Carolina. This class covered the basics of spindle and bowl turning. In these three days I learned the seven fundamentals of woodturning, the basic cuts used most often in turning and that there is a 10-step process to turning a bowl. After this class, I went home and turned every chance I could. I improved and I got faster. I started to understand how I was working with the wood, peeling or slicing the grain with my gouge. I sanded a lot less. After about 6 months, I took a second 2-day class in Indiana, covering the same techniques. I wanted to check in and see how much of what I was doing was correct and see what I could do to improve. After that, I had a pretty good understanding of where I was going and how to get there.

I started assisting my turning mentor in 5-day classes in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. I received repeated exposure to his teaching style, noticed common mistakes that students make and how to correct them and greatly improved my skills by teaching, explaining and demonstrating for others. After that, I started teaching private classes in my small shop in Boulder, Colorado.

Looking back, I wish I had taken a class immediately. It would have saved me time and money and started me off on the right track right away. Unfortunately, when I first started turning, I could not find a class to take locally, which posed a big obstacle for me at the time. All classes required a decent investment of time, airfare, hotel and multi-day class pricing. As a beginner, I wasn’t sure if I was ready or willing to invest that much in a craft I essentially knew nothing about. Once I was prepared to overcome that challenge, my turning really took off.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a woodturner, creator, teacher and demonstrator. After being introduced to the lathe in 2018, I fell in love with the craft and the process. I spent a year trying to teach myself to master the lathe and learned a lot in this year. In 2019, I decided to take a class with Stuart Batty, a third generation wood turner from the UK. My skills, speed and production took off after that and I now help Stuart teach classes throughout the USA and offer private instruction in Boulder, Colorado when I’m not turning in my small shop.

About my work: Hollow & Form is a collection of handcrafted wooden bowls, vases and other wooden wares created from both felled trees I find throughout Colorado and exotic kiln dried wood. I prep all my work, turn it on a lathe, and finish it in all natural, food grade finishes.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a wood turning artist is being able to teach others. Wood turning is not hard, but it does require some understanding, practice and technique. Watching the moment when everything clicks and seeing their satisfaction after creating a smooth, clean cut is one of my favorite parts of my job.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Since finding a class and learning to turn was a roadblock in my creative journey, I want to offer turning classes at all levels. Maybe you just want to make something out of wood and see what it’s like to work on a lathe. Maybe you want to get together regularly to make a project or learn the craft. Or maybe you want the full gamut – fundamentals, technique (and of course, fun!). My hope is to bring the art of wood turning to more people, create more exposure of this amazing craft and have a blast along the way!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hollowandform.com
• Instagram: @hollowandform
• Facebook: @hollowandform
• Youtube: @lathedback

Image Credits

Bridget Dorr