Greg Bernard

Greg passed this week.
 I would say; "Rest in Peace Greg!".
However I know Greg will not be "Resting". 

Many knew and were in awe of his carpentry skills, I knew him as my wood turning sensei. He was quietly one of the most skilled turners I have ever met. When I first started thinking about serious wood turning Greg got me started on the right foot. Wow a brother in law interested in the same hobby as me, how lucky I am. That was more than 15 years ago and I have been turning wood ever since.
I enjoyed visiting him at his shop and the few times he came to mine. We would go to the wood pile, he had many  of them hidden all around his properties, and pick out a hunk of wood. Mounting it on the lathe he would turn to me and say; "Don does it speak to you". I would retort; "Greg have you been drinking your homemade wine again?". He would chuckle and say; "When you become a real wood turner the wood will speak to you".
This is no joke, on the day of his passing I was in the shop turning on a pretty unimpressive hunk of wood, planning to turn a common bowl. As I was turning I realized that under the bark was an gorgeous burl. I stepped back and looked at the emerging wood which seemed to say" I am not a bowl". I looked closely at the wood and said to myself, this should be a hollow form [a lot more work]. As I started to cut with a new design in mind, I thought Oh my god! Greg was right, wood does speak! At that moment I paused and wondered how Greg was doing as I had not talked to him in quite a while. On the next day I learned of his passing.

This is the "Beauty" I referred to above: The-beauty-in-the-blank

One such turning event in my shop was captured! In this video you see Greg turning a mulberry blank. We were just turning wet wood for fun and if I recall the piece later cracked.

http://www.turnedoutright.com/2007/09/22/greg-visits-the-shop/

I will miss you dearly Greg, thank you for the lifelong skill you gave me and I will think of you every time I stand in front of the lathe and listen to you to speaking to me!

Don