July 21 Coffee Hour featuring Al Stirt

Al Stirt, bowl maker from Vermont, was the July guest star on Lancaster Woodturners Weekly Coffee Hour #112, July 21 2022. Check it here: Coffee Hours 111 – 120 – Lancaster Area Woodturners
Al’s personal statement from his website:
“I consider myself a “bowl maker” more than a wood turner because, although the turning process fascinates me, it is the resulting bowl that commands my interest.
From the earliest times bowls have had meanings for people beyond the purely utilitarian. The bowl as vessel has a resonance deep within the human psyche.
I have always thought of each piece that I make as a composition utilizing elements of pattern, line, weight, texture and form. Even in the most simple pieces I try to find a harmony of grain and shape.
I seek a balance in my work between the dynamic and the serene. By playing with the tension created by combining the circle’s perfection with the energy of pattern I am trying to make pieces that have life.
I use patterns, whether created by grain structure or organic fluting and carving or repeated geometric shapes, to develop harmony in each of my pieces. I find myself always looking for a new means of expression within the turned form.

Coming soon: The Mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium
Please join us on September 23rd – 25th for our 2022 woodturning symposium in beautiful and historic downtown Lancaster, PA. This year we have added a Friday evening Meet the Demonstrators Session and a Women in Turning Meeting.
The Mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium is a three-day opportunity to meet and learn from some of the world’s greatest turners. None of these professionals will be at the AAW Symposium in Chattanooga, so this is your opportunity to see them live and up close! Our symposium happens in Pennsylvania, entirely in the Lancaster Marriott, making it an easy location to socialize and stay.
Early registration until August 31st tickets are $185.00. Regular price tickets cost $215.00 after September 1st.
Online registration closes Friday, September 16th. Tickets can be purchased on-site.
- 6 Internationally known demonstrators
- Friday night Meet & Greet with demonstrator presentations
- All-day Saturday demonstration schedule
- Women in Turning meeting
- Sunday demonstrations followed by banquet lunch with featured event
- An enhanced Vendor Room
- Silent Auction
- Instant Gallery, with People’s Choice Award.
For more information go to The Event | Mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium (mawts.com)


A big thanks to the Kauffman Kitchens Team for providing us meeting space – kauffmankitchens.com