Triangular Tea with Banksia grandis seed pod in foreground. David Datwyler, artist
By Cornelia D. Scibetta
The Banksia grandis seed pod is the medium of choice for Tryon Painters & Sculptors member artist David Datwyler. He has been woodturning for the past 22 years after years of collecting woodturned works by other artists.
He first found the banksia seed pod, native to Australia, in a museum in Raleigh. He felt drawn to the challenge of learning and developing the skill of working with these pods in his woodturning. Though there are more than 100 species of banksias in Australia, the Banksia grandis is the one that allows for a consistent shape of a vessel.
Datwyler initially started making simple hollow vessels with a lid. Over time, he advanced to combining the pods with other exotic woods to make more creative and challenging pieces, such as wine goblets, tea pots and sets, and tall stemmed vessels. Currently, he is working on a martini set that includes glasses, shaker, tray and olives on a skewer.
“I love the incredible challenge of using the banksia seed pod,” Datwyler says. “Their size and shape limit the possible design, but I push the limit to adapt to these imitations. The wall of the pod may become very fragile due to the thickness becoming as thin as 3/16 of an inch. Each pod takes about three to four hours to complete. A completed piece looks unlike anything else seen in woodturning.”
A member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild since 2009, Datwyler has shown his work in galleries, museums and exhibits in 14 states across the nation. Woodturned pieces, as well as other works of art, can be seen at Tryon Painters and Sculptors Gallery and in the Gallery Store.
The gallery’s next all-member exhibit, Chasing the Light, opens Saturday, October 3, with a reception from 5–7 p.m.
The Tryon Painters and Sculptors gallery, gift shop and classrooms are located at 78 North Trade Street, Tryon. Learn more at TryonPaintersAndSculptors.com.
