Hans Finsterwalder

Born and raised in Germany, I appreciated three years as a wood-turner and became a journey-man wood-turner after completing my apprenticeship. During my German career as a wood-turner, I mostly turned functional pieces, such as door– and drawer knobs, table and chair legs, balusters, and candlesticks, using gouges and skews. After the war, when Danish Modern Furniture became the trend, I cross-trained to become a stone- and brick mason and made my living that way in Germany. The United States after I immigrated to the U.S. Shortly before retiring, I bought a wood lathe at a school auction and started and started turning again, and I have been at it ever since for the past 30 years.

Since I retired to Arizona in 1989, I have been turning in earnest, for the first time artistically, making segmented bowls, based on Native American pottery designs, fancy lace-top boxes, and a wide variety of Christmas ornaments. I also like to turn green wood, vases, and hollow forms. I have since branched out into creating large wood sculptures, incorporating sandstone and turnings.

I have been a member of the Havasu Art Guild since 1989, and have won several blue ribbons and two best of show ribbons at our annual juried Spring Shows. My work has been displayed in galleries in Carmel, CA., and Sisters, OR, and is still being displayed and sold in Carefree, AZ., Oatman, AZ, Sedona, AZ and Lake Havasu City, AZ. My work has also featured in the August 2012 and July 2014 editions of “Woodturning,” a British Magazine published by GMC Publications (website is www.thegmcgroup.com.)

Chosen as a demonstrator for the American Woodturners Associations, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I have also demonstrated for various Woodturners Clubs in Arizona, Montana, Minnesota, and North Dakota. I have declined to demonstrate since I reached 80 years of age.

All works by Hans Finsterwalder are hand-signed originals with no reproductions. We ship all over the world! Call or email for pricing.