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Rene Baxalle
New Zealand Fine Art Woodturner

I began woodturning in 2001 when I was given a wood lathe. All I knew about woodturning at that time was that you could make banisters, and table legs, etc. I joined the local woodturners club and very quickly discovered the creative potential of a lathe. I have always been attracted to wood and have very fond memories of carving little figurines with my pocket knife when I was around 10. I didn’t choose woodwork as a career but instead opted for the electrical trade. This might be the reason I so love working with wood now. I grew up on a farm in the south west of France, in an area called the Dordogne. I came to live in New Zealand in 1991. Coming from an old country filled with tradition and strong ideas about how things should be done to a newer, younger country where people were far more willing to accept new ideas and not worry about tradition was so liberating. Subsequently staying at home to look after our two children, now aged 9 and 7, was a turning point in my life. Spending time with young children can be such a rich experience, one that makes you see the world with different eyes. Early on in my wood turning journey I started experimenting with woven wood inlays because I like the intricacy of weaving and the way each strand blends and connects with the others to become one. I like the idea that each strand can represent an experience in someone’s life and the resulting woven form is the person’s mind or soul. Another design I use is overlapping pieces of wood like the cladding of wooden houses or the sides of wooden clinker boats. This has the same idea with all parts supporting each other to become one. I do not use synthetic material and will not use glue if I can avoid it because I want the different parts which form a piece to want to be together and not be forced to live together.

New Le Voyage de la Vie (The voyage of life) Carved Wooden Waka made of woven Rimu matt, Jarrah hull balanced on a stand carved from Ash ENQUIRE NOW

New wood turning 2013 (from left to right) Rimu Bowl, On stand large Black Maire Bowl, in front Ash Bowl, copper keaf and rimu vase, pohutukawa vase, gingko vase, small ash vase

Stunning large Black Maire Wooden turned Bowl 38.5cm wide by 14cm tall ENQUIRE NOW

Large Rimu Bowl NZ Rimu ENQUIRE NOW Sold	Shallow Rimed Bowl Jarrah ENQUIRE NOW Sold
Pohutukawa Vessel 21cm tall ENQUIRE NOW	Puriri Box with Woven Pohukutawa Lid ENQUIRE NOW
Tall Vase with Base Rimu 44cm tall ENQUIRE NOW	Commission NZ Rimu plus Handblown Glass Koru sold

Rene Baxalle
New Zealand Fine Art Woodturner

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