Interview with Leland Webb
Leland, in his workshop, reads to his school-age grandchildren who are home due to COVID-19. The storytime gives their parents, working at home, a needed break and him time with his grandchildren.
Who are you and what do you do? Include a little about your background.
I’m a native of North Carolina from a rural community up near the Virginia border. My dad was a builder/cabinetmaker, so I essentially grew up in a woodworking shop.
I went off to college in 1968 and essentially left woodworking for 45 years to pursue a professional career. Then, in 2013, I bought a small woodturning lathe and began my woodturning journey. I became a member of Liberty Arts in 2016 when I moved to downtown Durham.
I also love the outdoors and have spent considerable time camping, hiking, biking, and enjoying the beauty of nature. I love to walk or ride through the woods and see the many unique ways nature expresses herself in her trees. Now, my passion is “the thrill of the hunt” in that I look for and love to find unique pieces of wood and discover what art form they’re willing to become. Many times, the most unsightly raw material turns out to be a stunning thing of beauty in its finished form.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
One of my old scouting buddies who has helped me a great deal in developing my woodturning skills told me to “remember, there are no mistakes in woodturning, just new design opportunities.”
Now of course there are mistakes in woodturning, and taking all the necessary safety precautions is extremely important, especially using sharp tools on pieces of wood turning at high speed on a lathe. But, being able to accept the reality that a piece of wood doesn’t always turn out as I might have planned has preserved the enjoyment of turning and the satisfaction in whatever form the final product takes.
What do you love about your work?
I think the aspect of woodturning that I love the most is the fact that I get to decide what I like and don’t like about what comes off my lathe...I have the final say on when a piece is finished.
I’ll be the first to admit that at times, I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to not letting perfect be the enemy of the good. I recently completed a piece that I titled “Firewood”....it’s a cherry bowl that I gave up on so many times that I was ready to throw it in the scrap pile. It had scratches I couldn’t get out, the finishing oil wouldn’t soak in, there were case hardening defects, and on and on. I just couldn’t get it like I wanted. This went on for about 3 weeks before I went back to bare wood and started the finishing process all over again, successfully this time, but I was the one who got to decide when I was finished with it.
What do you hate about it?
Vessels turned by Leland for children undergoing difficult procedures in hospital. Check out www.beadsofcourage.org
Absolutely nothing! I love turning so much that I’m turning when I’m not even in the studio. Every piece of wood in my studio has a story and I find myself constantly trying to figure out how to best tell those stories.
Professionally, what’s your goal?
I had a profession for 34 years, retired in 2010, and now I turn wood for the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction of bringing wood to life for myself and others. I donate my larger pieces to charities for fund-raising auctions; I make pieces for children undergoing treatment for cancer through the national Beads of Courage organization; and I make tops for kids in the hospital at UNC to decorate with colored pens.
What superpower would you love to have and why?
I’d love to have the power to keep things simple….why?...because I seem to be able to make work out of almost anything!
What places are most inspiring to you?
The forests!
What is your dream project?
I have a cherry burl that was given to me several years ago that is about 2 feet in diameter. The guy who gave it to me had originally planned to give it to a friend who made musical instruments but he decided to give it to me instead. I’ve looked at it over in a corner of my studio and worked around it for over 3 years now, so my dream project is to someday figure out what that cherry burl wants to be.
What has it meant to be a Liberty Arts Artist?
To me, being a member of Liberty Arts has meant being a part of a community of very talented and diverse individuals who have a passion for their work and respect for each other. They are all ages and come from very different backgrounds, but they love what they create and they are always full of new ideas and inspire those around them.
How has COVID-19 changed your life/business?
My wife and I live in an apartment in downtown Durham. She works mostly from a home office, and since early March when Covid-19 hit the area, I have not worked.
Now the last thing my wife needs is me at home all day in the apartment where she’s trying to work. So, since early March, I have been in the studio almost every day turning wood.
Most of the woodturners I know already have more wood than they could possibly turn in a lifetime, and I’m pretty sure I also fall into that group. My goal in this Covid-19 era has been to work down the inventory of wood that I already have in the studio so I’ll have room for the spectacular piece I’ll find on my next outing...and I’m making progress!
