The club announced an important schedule change: beginning in January, monthly meetings will move to the 4th Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with the first of these new-format meetings set for January 24. That session will feature Jim Duxbury demonstrating his Ikebana Spikey Flower Bowl. Following the meeting, a hands-on workshop will allow participants to create the Ikebana Spikey Flower Bowl using premium woods such as Ambrosia maple, Padauk, and black walnut. As of this writing, the club has also received official confirmation of a $4,132 North Carolina Grassroots Arts Program Grant.
Several upcoming events were highlighted. On December 6, the studio will host a Pen Making Workshop at 9:00 a.m., still open for registrations. Also that day, the ClearWater Arts Center Holiday Market will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., where the club will staff a sales table. The Annual Christmas Party is scheduled for December 16 at Captain Steve’s, and members are asked to notify Larry Nottingham with attendance numbers.
The November demonstration was presented by Walt Hazelrigg, focusing on practical techniques for pen turning. Walt shared insights from years of experience, emphasizing proper organization of parts, drilling pen blanks on the lathe, epoxy bonding techniques, trimming barrels accurately, and achieving smooth transitions and durable CA finishes. His detailed guidance will be distributed at the upcoming pen-making workshop.
The Show and Share session showcased a wide range of member projects. Highlights included cedar forms by Bill Truitt, a finely crafted split bowl and epoxy-inlay bowl by Harold Kempler, a Bubinga Christmas bell by Darrell Rader, a completed split bowl by Phillip Cooley, CA-finished pens by two members, Spectraply candlesticks by Lan Brady, and a selection of sea-urchin-shell Christmas ornaments created during the November workshop.
