| Born in Winslow, Maine, Tom Raymond
began turning wood in high school when he bought his first lathe
in 1949. Woodworking has always been part of his life. He received
a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering from Maine
Maritime Academy.
His professional career started as an Engineer for the Sun Oil
Co. then continued in the Navy. Tome finally settled in Connecticut
in 1960, employed by Terry Steam Turbine Co. He was soon promoted
to Chief Test Engineer. He fine-tuned his engineering skills when
he moved on to Hartford Steam Boiler as Chief Instrumentation
Engineer in 1987. His natural talent and aptitude for precision
and accuracy has served him well throughout his 35-year engineering
career, in addition to making him a fine craftsman.
After retiring and moving back to Maine with his wife Shirley
in 1995, Tom remodeled his home and renewed his interest in wood
turning in the process of building his own furniture. He upgraded
his workshop with high quality turning equipment and tools, and
began turning segmented bowls, using as many as 16 different kinds
of wood.
The contrasting wood colors in the segmented designs are unique,
making each bowl a functional work of art. All the bowls are serialized
and logged on his computer. The can be used for anything except
cooking. They are finished with 6 coats of polyurethane gel followed
by wax, and the recommended cleaning is with a damp cloth.
In the year 2000, Tom joined Maine Woodturners and is currently
serving as club secretary. He is also a member of the America
Association of Woodturners. In 2002, Tom was recognized as an
artist when he began showing and selling his bowls at Round Top
Center for the Arts in Damariscotta. And later at Archipeligo
in Rockland, Gallery 302 in Bridgton, The White Mountain Artisans
Gallery in North Conway, NH and recently at the Center for Maine
Contemporary Arts in Rockport. He has been teaching woodturning
at Round Top Center for the Arts in Damariscotta.
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