Meet David Kohler

My passion, some say obsession, is turning raw wood into beautiful pieces of art.  I get my materials from a variety of sources.  Most of the exotics and imported woods are purchased from local suppliers in the Phoenix area.  I try to use wood harvested from sustainable forests and managed plantations that use sound reforestation programs.

Other sources for wood are resellers of traditional American hardwoods, the same species our furniture and other goods have been crafted from for generations.  That's good for our economy and great for my art!

I've been a woodworker for many years, mostly building furniture pieces for friends and family.  Over the years I've made many dressers, tables, rolling toolboxes, and accent pieces.  In 2017 I got into woodturning when my grandson wanted to make pens.  That endeavor led to making simple bowls.  Now I'm working on improving my skills while allowing my creativity to grow.  

I get my ideas and inspiration from lots of places.  My bowls and pots are interpretations of the works of other artists, especially the ancient ones.  Living in the American Southwest lets me get exposed to the art of the Native American tribes.  I love the look of their pottery and try to incorporate the style into my work.

The bowls and hollow vessels are my creations.  I love building and turning my blanks with a vision of the final product and then watching the piece emerge from the raw form I created.

I've discovered that I can stretch my skills and push myself to an even higher level with segmented turning.  Cutting and arranging many small pieces of wood to form shapes and figures in a bowl or hollow vessel in ways that are not achievable with a solid block of wood is challenging and fascinating.  My current work is exclusively segmented turning.  The possibilities are endless and intriguing!