BY DI SNEDDON
Although it won’t be showcased in the Singleton show this year, Mark Wallace’s artful creation, hewn from a tree burl, did get it’s time to shine in Gresford show earlier this year. The Wallaces are show regulars, with Mark entering different timber creations in wood turning every year and wife Janice entering hand-made needle point and sewn items.
The pair are regular participants at Singleton, Maitland and Gresford shows with Mark taking out Wood Turning Grand Champion last year at the Singleton show with his set of three nested bowls.
Mark creates people’s requests and looks to magazines and Pinterest for inspiration, experimenting regularly with different types of timber.
The couple joke about the creative ways they have attached rare pieces or timber or rough looking chunks of wood to their car or caravan always bringing a treasurer home with them from holidays, to later be turned into something beautiful, or on some occasions a piece of time-consuming firewood!
Although the cancelation of the show and the closing of the borders has altered their lifestyle in the short term, the Wallaces are matter of fact and say it will just give them more time to experiment with creating something new and prepare for next year.
