In this weekend class, Master Woodturner J Paul Fennell will teach the essentials to create vessel forms that bring elegance to any student’s work. Good form is an important starting point for making gallery-quality pieces and for showcasing more advanced work enhanced by carving, piercing, and pyrography. Students will make several vessel shapes during the weekend to learn the basics of good design. Emphasis will be placed on developing a sense of how subtle changes in the form’s line, volume, and proportion can dramatically enhance the elegance of the vessel. The class will also study grain orientation and wood distortion to learn how they affect the appearance of the vessel. Techniques will be explored for finishing the vessel using scrapers to minimize sanding, as well as simple but elegant methods for shaping and finishing the vessel bottom. Students will receive as much individual specialized instruction as possible for an enhanced class experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own favorite turning blanks, as well as previously finished pieces, from home for evaluation.