Bert Poling is a woodturner from Grand Junction, Colorado. He took up woodturning in retirement, discovering his artistic calling. He also works in lapidary and pyrography and many of his wood turnings exhibit the combination of these mediums. He has had works on display in several galleries in Grand Junction and shows his works in the surrounding area.
"For as long as I can remember I have found inspiration in the natural world — wood and stone in particular. As a self-taught woodturner I enjoy creating vessels that are simple in form yet finely detailed. I frequently work with materials that exhibit defects as a result of their natural environment — weather, fire, insects etc. I use a variety of minerals such as turquoise, malachite, agate and lapis to do inlay work with a variety of finishes. When I start a new piece I may have a general idea as to the type of vessel I will create but invariably as I begin to turn the form takes on a life of its own. During the creative process there is an intangible point when the shape, mass, and grain patterns come together and I intuitively realize the piece is ready for in the inlay and finishing processes. Wood turning is an incredibly tactile medium and my pieces are made to be touched and held as well as viewed. It is my hope that the emotional investment I have in every piece reflects in the work and that it may also touch the lives of those who collect them."
