Malcolm Gladwell in his book, “Outliers,” proposed that it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to become a master of complex skills. John Mast of Mountain City has proven to be an exception to that rule.  

It’s only been four years since John, a member of Tri-State Growers Cooperative, started in the craft of wood turning, where craftspeople mount a piece of wood on a lathe and then use hand tools to shape the spinning medium into desired forms. The possibilities are limited only by the artist’s imagination. Since beginning the hobby, John has created more than 500 pieces — bowls, plates, containers, and decorative items — in his simple shop, and his works reflect a deep understanding of the craft. 

“I never considered myself as having one grain of artistic talent,” says John, who spent 38 years as a high school math teacher and then four more as an administrator before retiring from education in 2011. “But I'm a little better than I thought I was. I've done some pretty things, really. And I did them primarily to have something to do.”

Like many folks trying to figure out how to do things, John turned to YouTube and was pulled into the hobby of watching instructional videos. While there are many choices on the social media channel, several craftsmen who were sharing their techniques appealed to John better than the rest, and he even corresponded with some of them. 

“I commented on several, and they responded to me,” says John. “It turns out one of the guys and I are the same age. He's extremely talented and makes incredible crafts out of strange pieces of wood, roots, and things that you could get all kinds of shapes out of.”

Similarly, John rarely begins a piece with a destination or dimension in mind, letting the form reveal itself to him as the lathe spins, and using the grain, knots, and other imperfections to his advantage.

“I let the wood talk to me,” he says. “I don’t have a clue what it's going to be when I start. The shape of the wood will determine whether it’s a bowl or a plate or vase, or something else. People have asked me, ‘Where do you get your designs?’ They come out of the wood, shaped by the lathe and what’s in my head.”

The choice of wood is critical to the process. While hardwoods are easiest to work with, John doesn’t discriminate. He’s worked with walnut, oak, maple, apple, cherry, mulberry, poplar, dogwood, birch, and even mimosa. The lathe will tend to yank chunks from some softer woods, he says. Much of the wood comes from his own farm on Forge Creek where he raises beef cattle and hay, and other materials are donated by friends and neighbors.

“I've got a barn shed full of wood,” he says.  “Most of it has been given to me. I have a friend that had his property logged this past summer. I got tons of oak trimmings there. It will usually finish well, but it takes longer to do the work because of the smaller size and the roughness of the pieces.”

Once a piece’s form is complete, it takes additional time for the sanding and finishing process. John goes through the process in steps — sanding, sealing, and applying finish up to six times, or even more if necessary. The whole process can take up to eight hours, depending on the complexity of the creation. 

“I use a finish called OB’s Shine Juice," he says. "It's made from equal parts denatured alcohol, boiled linseed oil, and shellac. If I want something that's food safe, I'll usually finish it first with walnut oil, and then wax it either with carnauba wax or a beeswax mixture.”

While John says he sees little connection between his art and his career as a math teacher, he talks about them in similar terms. He says both the creations that emerge from the woodturning process and the equations central to mathematics focus on solving puzzles. 

 “Both of these activities are an art rather than a science,” he says. “I just wish I had started [woodturning] earlier.”

You can see some of John Mast’s woodturning efforts at the Johnson County Center for the Arts in Mountain City or contact him to learn more at P.O. Box 94, Mountain City, TN 37683; (423)948-5133; or via email at mathman1124@gmail.com.