Timber Art

We attended the local Woodturners Exhibition in Shepparton today and while there are many hobbyists turning out pens, pepper and salt shakers, bowls etc., there are also some very talented woodwork artists.  This is an example.  It is hand carved in Huon Pine, a beautiful soft wood.  This is a tree which is highly restricted and only found in south west Tasmania.  Slow-growing, but a long lived tree, some living specimens are in excess of 2000 years old. A stand of these trees reputed to be in excess of 10,500 years old was recently found in western Tasmania on Mount Read.  No individual tree in the existing stand is that old, but all are genetically identical male specimens that have reproduced vegetatively. Huon pine was used extensively in ship building by the convicts on Sarah Island at the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station from 1822-1833.
My extras are a full shot of a hand carved example of this art, and the others of wood turners in action with the lathe spinning at an alarming rate of knots. An interesting day.