Biography
John
W. Cobb
I was born and raised in
Durham, North Carolina. I attended
North Carolina State University where I studied engineering and
mathematics. I graduated from Arizona
State University in 1964 with a degree in mathematics and physics. I came to
Colorado Springs as a second lieutenant in October 1964 and I was among the
first to be based at the NORAD complex inside Cheyenne Mountain. That was quite an experience. After leaving
the military in 1968, I settled in Denver and I have lived along the front
range of Colorado ever since. I now
live near the town of Larkspur. Larkspur is about halfway between Denver and
Colorado Springs. I enjoy the natural
beauty of the area as well as the abundant wildlife.
I am a professionally
trained woodcarver. I became interested
in woodcarving about 1968. At that
time, I did some furniture making and I wanted to be able to carve the knee and
feet of period pieces. I found a
professional woodcarver, Al Aspenwall, who taught evening classes. He and I became friends and the two of us
taught evening classes under his leadership for about 7 years. He used to admonish me by saying “Johnnie,
ya got no artistic soul!” I responded
by saying “Al, mathematicians have no soul, just probabilities”. And so it went, all in good humor. He was right: I had no artistic soul. But I discovered that through reading, asking
questions and a lot of hard work and practice that I was able to become ‘pretty
good’. Today, I have a very good sense
of proportion and form, but it is not due to any natural ‘talent’ – just hard
work and experience.
I have turned wood since
I was 12 years old when my father gave me what would be described today as a
mini-lathe. I found an old washing
machine motor and attached it to the lathe.
I mounted the lathe on an old card table and worked on it in the back
yard in good weather. I thoroughly
enjoyed it and I made several lamps and a footstool. I still have these items in my home today, even though they are design
horrors by current standards. They have
great sentimental value.
When I left the military
in 1968 I got a good job and bought a home of my own. I started outfitting a woodworking shop and I purchased a really
poor quality lathe plus quite a few woodcarving tools. I sold the poor quality lathe in 1980 and
replaced it with a Myford spindle lathe.
It was like getting off a mule and climbing into a sports car. I still have that lathe plus three
others.
In the mid 1980s I became
aware of the work of Australian woodturner Richard Raffan. When I discovered that he was teaching in Provo, Utah I decided
to take a one-week class. This was
about 1986. Richard and I became good
friends and we have maintained that friendship over the intervening years. You can still see his influence in my boxes
and bowls today. In that first class
there were several people that have gone on to become well known turners. That group included Gene Doren of Alaska and
Dick Sing of Illinois.
When I met Richard
Raffan, I was a good competent spindle turner but I had made neither a turned
box nor a good bowl. He taught me to
make these items quickly and with good form.
I took two or three classes from Richard in Provo in consecutive years. Dale Nish says that I am a slow
learner. Not so – I just enjoyed it
very much.
Since my initial formal
training with Richard Raffan, I have learned a great deal about woodturning
from many others. This group includes
Ray Key of England, Kip Christensen of Utah, Bob Krause of California, and
Soren Berger of New Zealand. And in 1995 I spent a week in England studying with Melvyn Firmager learning his technique for making hollow vessels. I thank
them all for being willing to share.
My current direction is
to combine my woodcarving skills with my woodturning skills. I am drawn to the pottery of the pueblo
Indians who live along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico. I am especially fond of the black-on-black
pottery of Santa Clara and San Ildefonso.
Larkspur, Colorado
January, 2009