An ancient craft that remains very much alive today, woodturning is based on fundamental techniques and a keen understanding of the material—skills that have stood the test of time without losing their precision.

Over the course of five immersive days, this workshop invites you to discover this world by diving right into the craft. In a safe environment, each participant learns to engage with the wood, refine their eye, and develop a sensitivity that allows them to create increasingly precise and delicate forms, ultimately exploring the material’s extreme subtlety.

This workshop offers an instinctive approach to woodturning, where the tool fades into the background to become an extension of the body, and where wood is treated as a living, responsive, and sensitive material.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Apply the fundamental techniques and principles of woodturning
• Develop an in-depth understanding of wood species and the behavior of wood
• Identify the specific vocabulary of woodturning and recognize essential tools
• Understand the main techniques and learn how to sharpen tools
• Understand traditional finishing techniques: sanding, oiling, staining, and charring
• Create a specific shape, such as a bowl, a vase, or a box
• Experiment with wood carving to achieve translucent effects in the wood

Woodturning is an ancient craft that underwent profound changes during the 20th century, yet its fundamental techniques, the art of reading the wood, and its essential forms remain unchanged.

During this five-day immersion in his craft, Vincent Turner teaches the essential techniques of woodturning in a safe environment. The goal is to help participants develop the eye and sensitivity needed to work with wood with the utmost finesse, even exploring the material’s translucency.

He also teaches an intuitive approach to creation, in which the tool becomes a natural extension of the body and wood is regarded as a living material to be observed and respected.

Most of the workshop focuses on green wood—wood that is still damp and undried—which fosters a direct and sensitive connection to the material. Participants thus have the opportunity to discover wood from a new perspective, working with various local species to fully appreciate their diversity and unique qualities.

Schedule

Day 1

Morning

• Welcome and introduction of participants
• Introduction to the wood lathe and safety rules
• Introduction to traditional tools

Afternoon

• Understanding wood and its characteristics
• Getting familiar with the tools
• Learning basic techniques
• First free-form pieces in end grain (grain running parallel to the lathe’s axis)
• Introduction to tool sharpening

Day 2

Morning

• Understanding hollowing in end grain
• Making a small container

Afternoon

• Working with free-form shapes in cross-grain wood (grains perpendicular to the lathe’s axis)
• Sharpening tools

Day 3

Morning

• Advanced hollow carving in cross-grain wood
• Making a small container

Afternoon

• Introduction to free-hand woodturning
• Exploring techniques for achieving finesse and translucency in wood
• Experimentation and practice

Day 4

Morning

• Defining a personal sculpture project featuring thin, translucent walls
• Using clay to model and visualize the form and the production process

Afternoon

• Creating the piece

Day 5

Morning

• Finalizing the pieces
• Exploring finishing techniques: sanding, hand carving, plant-based dyes, burning
• Training Review
• Tidying up the workshop

Note: Creating a simple hollow form generally takes between one and two hours for a beginner. Since pieces are sometimes reworked several times—which is common during the learning process—approximately eight hours of actual work per project is a reasonable estimate.

Since work is done in pairs, this setup allows for precise guidance and continuous progress. Depending on the group dynamics, several objects or experiments may be completed during the session.

Vincent Turner is a woodturner. When he discovered this craft, he quickly decided to make it his profession, following a career path built on precision, observation, and manual work.

He began his career as a surveyor. This formative experience allowed him to develop a precise eye for space, volume, and proportion, as well as a keen sense of detail and spatial visualization. These skills now form an essential foundation for his approach to woodturning.

He subsequently turned his attention to activities related to the natural world, notably working in the cultivation of medicinal plants alongside an herbalist, and later in the creation and maintenance of a large aromatic herb garden as part of an artisanal project linked to gastronomy. These experiences fostered a more sensitive relationship with materials, natural cycles, and the transformations of living things.

He then trained as a roofer and carpenter, discovering traditional building techniques and strengthening his connection to technical craftsmanship and materials.

Alongside these activities, Vincent Turner has maintained a regular drawing practice since childhood. He depicts bodies, forms, and portraits—a practice that deepens his understanding of volume and continues to inform his creative work today.
A musician for over twenty years, he plays guitar both in a band and as a soloist and has also shared his knowledge through introductory lessons. This experience in teaching reveals a lasting interest in passing on and sharing skills.

His discovery of woodturning marked a decisive turning point. This craft allows him to bring together all of his experiences: the technical precision acquired in the surveying trades, the sensitivity developed through contact with living things, and a passion for precise movement. He now devotes himself fully to this craft, developing an approach in which attention to detail and the precision of movement take center stage.

• Classroom, multipurpose room, workshops with professional equipment
• Supply of materials
• Individual and collaborative work
• Workshop-based work
• Active participation and hands-on experimentation by participants are emphasized

• Group and personalized progress tracking, regular updates
• Self-assessment of technical skills
• Group presentation
• Attendance sheet for each half-day
• Certificate of completion issued by Campus MaNa