Yankee Woodturning Symposium
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Mark Sfirri

Mark Sfirri is a resident of New Hope, Pennsylvania. He is a teacher, furniture maker, sculptor and woodturner. Much of Mark's work centers around lathe turned objects and shapes. Many of his pieces are turned on several axes and this has allowed Mark to explore form in a spontaneous, mathematical, and creative way. He has collaborated with other artists including painter Robert Dodge and Michael Hosaluk, from Canada. Mark tries to inject humor into his work through form and surface orientation.

Mark continually blurs the line separating woodturning from sculpture. Sfirri, who holds Bachelors and Masters of Fine Arts degrees from Rhode Island School of Design, was heavily influenced by his mentor Tage Frid, who encouraged the young Sfirri to use his primary tool, the lathe in new, creative ways. Mark uses the lathe to create conventional bowls and spindles which he then manipulates using multi-centered spindles, and with a series of crosscuts; the resulting pieces combine concave and convex surfaces with curvilinear contours.

Mark has taught at Bucks County Community College since 1981 as an Associate Professor of Fine Woodworking. He has published numerous articles in journals such as American Woodworker and Fine Woodworking.

Mark will offer four demo programs:
A. Multi-axis turning between centers- basic cutting techniques and forms that one can generate
B. Multi-axis candlestick
In these first two demos, Mark will show the grinds, tools needed and cutting techniques necessary for multi-axis turning between centers.  He will demonstrate a variety of forms that he has designed over the years, and explain information critical to designing objects using these methods.
C. Basic Spindle Turning - How to turn beads & coves, finish off ends of a piece, raised beads, square to round cut and tool grinds
D. Slide Presentation- The Turned Furniture and Objects of Mark Sfirri- 30 Years of work

Sample work from the artist...