Woodturner Bill Pavan combines natural artistic talent with a scientific approach to his work—just as one would expect from an accomplished geneticist at NIH
Written by Kristen Hampshire | Photography by Jill Jasuta
Hikes through Dorchester County’s woods and drives through rural landscapes become lively scavenger hunts for Bill Pavan. He’s all eyes and ears—looking for newly fallen trees, rogue branches and stumps while listening for the promising whir of a chainsaw.
He’s especially after elm, cherry and any spalted wood with characteristic markings left behind by decay from fungi. “I capture the wood before it rots and the evidence of decay provides very interesting natural variations in color,” says Bill, a woodturning artist whose studio is on the waters of the Choptank River.
“I use what’s available to create art,” says Bill, who pursues the vocation full-time after retiring from 30 years as geneticist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One of many notable achievements included discovering a gene that is crucial for organ and tissue formation.
“I took my passion for understanding color patterns and changes and applied it to human health,” Bill explains. His research focused on how DNA controls colors and patterns seen in animals, too.
“The science I do is very innovative and involves the creative part of the brain,” continues Bill, relaying a symbiotic relationship between imagination and innovation—art and science.
His woodworking is experimental and experiential, much like conducting a lab study loaded with variables and discoveries. From bowls in organic shapes to spice grinders and vases, Bill’s ever-expanding body of work also incorporates metal, oyster shells and other renewable resources. His work is on display at Main Street Gallery in Cambridge.
The outlet has inspired Bill’s artistic development, he says. “It’s a collaborative, interactive, encouraging environment.”
An Art and Science
Bill’s woodworking began as a purely functional pursuit. He built a crib for his child and created useful cutting boards for the kitchen. “It’s the way I was raised,” he relates of growing up in a working-class family rooted in handy trades. “My whole family always had an artistic side,” he adds.
During The Great Depression, his seamstress grandmother would borrow fabrics from her stash as canvas for novel oil paintings and clothing. His grandfather made cement sculptures for their yard. Bill helped his father lay tile backsplashes, sometimes in intricate mosaic patterns.
Bill grew up among dairy farms and apple orchards in New York State. “I was always fascinated by the natural beauty in the world,” he says.
And he was always asking questions. “What caused the remarkable black and white spotting patterns seen in dairy cows? Why do grains of different tree species look so different even though they grow next to each other?”
His art brings to light the transformative power of nature and its fascinating behaviors. “When I turn freshly fallen trees, the shape changes as the wood goes from being wet to dry,” he says of a circle that may end up an oval. Leaving bark exposed on bowl rims adds interest and form.
Lost in the Wood
Woodturning engages the senses in a meditative way. It’s an escape. “I’ve taught others, and instead of forming the shape, they just keep turning and don’t want to stop,” Bill says of the flowing, tactile experience.
“You can feel a smoothness as the tool slices through woodgrains, hear the whoosh of shavings flying in the air and smell the sap,” Bill relates.
Lately, he has been working other natural materials into pieces, namely oyster shells. “The inside of the shell is shiny with sometimes a purple hue and the outside is chalky and rough,” he describes. “Those two textures sit well next to each other in an inlay.”
Bill is also using a Japanese charring technique called shou sugi ban to preserve a bowl’s exterior, particularly cherry wood, as an accent to its vibrant red color.
What’s next? Perhaps Bill will find the answer on his next drive, surrounded by inspiration. CS
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