Today we’d like to introduce you to David Boynton
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Well, where to begin… how about a few years after I retired from the US Air Force; that’s a good place. I retired after 21 great years, went to the Civil Service for a bit under the Presidential Management Fellowship-it wasn’t for me, and then went to work for the airline industry running ground operations for two major carriers at the same time. The airline gig was very stressful, and one of my coping tools was to get on YouTube and watch woodworking, specifically woodturning on lathes. it was very calming to me and after a while, I had a thought… if its this fun to watch, I bet its even more fun to DO!
So, on a lark, I bought the tall stand-up lathe from a local tool store and figured if I was terrible at it, it wasn’t a big investment and I would just move on to something else. I’ve always been good working with my hands and as it happened, the first thing I made, the obligatory Christmas ornament, didn’t suck, I didn’t get hurt and most of all I had a blast making it! I kept at it and improved with each piece. Eventually, I was asked to make some pieces as a commission. It went so well, that more pieces were ordered allowing me more interesting opportunities in turning. Not long after, I stopped working for the airlines and now this is all I do! Life is a whole lot better now!
I moved from turning just wood to wood and resin pieces and found I have a knack for this niche of turning. From this I moved up to making trays and small tables, then moved on to much bigger projects like dining and conference tables. The largest table so far has been a 12′ X 5′ with the top 20 records of 1972 in cedar that had nearly 50 gallons of resin in its making-it took a moving company with 8 men to move it and was an epic piece in a famous music studio that many famous people get to sit at, that’s really kinda cool. Yesterday, I just finished the smallest commissioned piece which was an urn the size of a lightbulb for a chihuahua-I also make acrylic pouring paintings, so the range gets wider and wider. I have made some really cool pieces for some amazing people and organizations and its been an absolute blast so far, lets see how far it goes.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes and no. Making art has been a series of problem-solving tasks one after the other mixed with inspiration and imagination. That’s been fun. There’s a lot of reference material out there to find solutions or to help find the right tool for the job. The biggest challenge is really getting seen and letting the world know I exist! I have done shows, been featured in a few galleries, been on some podcasts and have done some interviews-even have a social media presence on FB and IG, but anything that comes from them are hit or miss, even the website I have has done poorly, but again, it all comes down to if they can’t see ya, they can’t hire ya. Nailing this problem down and finding consistent success is like nailing jello to the wall… but im hopeful i will achieve progress here too eventually.
A major influence on the bumpy road is the economy. Hasn’t been the greatest as of late, and a lot of what I do comes with a high price tag as materials are expensive and I don’t work for free as no maker/artist should and anyone who tries to make you in the bidding process should be off the client list-you don’t need it that bad-ever! and the “opportunity” that would come from it rarely materialize and yes, this is the voice of experience! Anyway, heres to hoping the economy picks up soon!
I have reinvented myself so many different times, in so many different ways throughout the years, but the one thing I can never get a handle on is self promotion-that whole idea eludes me and I am just terrible at it! It’s a recurrent and common struggle for many talented makers, and it’s one that can snuff the life right out of their small art business and even more so to their creativity and self-esteem, as their art is an extension of themselves, thereby they feel personally rejected or unacknowledged. Especially when you think your hitting all the right marks out there in social media land, doing all the things that the experts say to do only to get 20 likes-seemingly all from your Mom and. friends, and zero calls! its hard to get above the noise of everything else going on out there in the great big ol world. I mean, look at my art or watch adorable puppy videos… see what i mean?
This year I will be looking into finding reputable sources to help bring this rocky marketing road down to a pock-marked gravelly one, but even then… who knows?!?! There’s so many frauds and hucksters out there that I am leery of giving my hard earned money to just anyone who says they can market well. Im not looking to book myself solid but I would like to be consistently busy enough with a wide range of opportunities so as not to get into trouble and cause myself a mischief! Woodworking puppies as an ad gimmick? See? A mischief already…
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a wood and resin artist that specializes in one of a kind heirloom pieces; be it turned pieces like an Urn, bowl or vase to tables of any scale. I also make cosmic acrylic pour paintings ranging from the 8″x10″ all the way to 48″x60″ gallery wrapped pieces. I have made Triptychs and 5-piece interconnected sets for companies and have sold many pieces through commission or sale.
I am known for my resin ability and for how well I know the material-I get lots of calls from local makers asking me questions about what to do or how to fix what they’ve done. My wood and resin pieces are my main pieces that garner the most attention and commissions.
One of the things I do that separates me from many other makers, is my attention to detail. I bring 21 years of military discipline and attention to detail to my pieces and it shows. Where others say “good enough” I use as my “where to begin”. I was a Drill Sergeant (the Air Force calls us Military Training Instructors) for four (4) years and part of our MTI Creed was to never accept mediocrity, so I do not! When something goes out my door, it is as good as I can possibly make, and hopefully better than the piece before. I am also willing to learn and attempt to master a completely new skill set to make a new and interesting piece for a client. This of course extends the crafting timeline, but I do not fear change or new ideas and bring that mindset into my workshop as well. When someone asks me if I make “X” and I don’t, I say no, but would love the opportunity to try!
Finally, as to what I am most proud of, is that all my pieces have made a positive impact in the clients life. Nothing life altering or grand on any scale, just a positive meaningful impact and in this day and age, that is something we seem to be in short supply of.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
One of the things that most folks don’t know about me is that I am a big ol nerd! I love to play video games, play Dungeons and Dragons (2nd Ed and 3.5 are my fav) and I love all things fantasy and science fiction. Heck, I have the movie Legend playing the background right now!
Now my friends and family all know this, but clients and people who are just meeting me as an artist do not, though it doesn’t take long for 80’s movie references and other nerd references to slip out in conversation. It is fun to see when they catch it and the look on their face when they realize how nerdy I really am… as I do manage to hide in plain sight (I do have a +5 on that skill)! Come for the heirloom piece and stay for the game! ROLL INITIATIVE!
Pricing:
- For wood and resin pieces, each one is different and therefore a pricing discussion is part of the design phase. I work within the client’s budget to meet their goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dabakhstudios.com
- Instagram: @dabakhstudios
- Facebook: /dabakhstudios
