Bob Stocksdale

Bob Stocksdale (born in Warren, Indiana) was an American woodturner, known for his exquisite bowls formed from rare and exotic woods. He raised on a farm and enjoyed working with tools. According to an oral history he recorded at the University of California Bancroft Library, he powered his first lathe with a surplus Maytag gasoline washing machine motor. He turned baseball bats and spindles among early projects. After graduating from high school he worked in a factory making wooden paddles used by cracker bakers. Later he worked in a factory that made cedar chests. His job was to assemble the chests from the pre-cut wooden pieces.

He was a conscientious objector during World War II, and was sent to several CO camps doing forestry work. This brought him to the West. While at the camps he was able to procure a lathe and began turning bowls. He was encouraged in his woodturning efforts by Helen Winemore, the owner of a crafts gallery in Columbus, Ohio.

After the war Stocksdale moved to Berkeley, California. He bought a Victorian duplex in South Berkeley, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. He put together a shop of modest tools in his basement, and there turned out work that gradually earned him acclaim and fame as a woodturner. He died at age 89

His second wife, Kay Sekimachi, is a famous weaver and craft artist. His daughter, Joy Stocksdale, is a noted fabric designer.

External links

* [http://www.joystocksdale.com joystocksdale.com]