Andy Fortune, Yeoman of the Turners’ Company
Andy first started woodturning back in 1997, where he made his first cuts into pieces of fallen wood, the process of turning left Andy fascinated and eager to turn a hobby into a passionate career. Andy went on to create his own business called ‘The Mulberry Tree WoodTurnery’ where he has been able to learn, create and develop his skills in the art of woodturning.
Andy is now nationally recognised for his work and is on ‘The Register of Professional Turners’ (RPT) which highlights the quality of his work.
Andy’s individual approach to woodturning embodies an ancient Japanese philosophy of ‘Wabi-sabi’. Through this Andy thrives to find the beauty in the imperfections and impermanence of incomplete pieces of fallen and collected wood. His work is refreshing, combining traditional wood forms with a modern twist through leather binding or the addition of wire to allow his work to take on a new life, which differentiates his work from other traditional turners.
Over the Years Andy has worked with many clients on personal & business commissions creating unique designs using many different types of wood, which has allowed Andy to work on interesting projects such as turning miniature bells from the timber headstocks salvaged form the bells of St. Pauls Cathedral, working with timber from Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory and providing bespoke platters for TV chef Adam Byatt for use on the BBC programme, The Great British Menu.
Andy has also completed commissions for Isle of Wight and London restaurants, Off the Rails in Yarmouth and Trinity in Clapham as well as Brown’s hotel in Mayfair providing items unique to each business.
Alongside his design & commission work, Andy is a passionate teacher of his trade where he enjoys to teach the art of turning to enthusiastic creatives from all age groups, hopefully passing down the traditional craft for years to come. His courses offer a hands-on and enjoyable approach to wood turning which is packed into half and full day teaching options for individuals or up to 4 students. Andy’s courses are incredibly popular throughout the year and particularly within the summer months on the island and can make a perfect gift to family & friends.
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