Ed Putnam

 

I am a Cape Cod–based woodturner, living on the Cape year-round since relocating from Boston’s South Shore in 2019. My work is rooted in a lifelong relationship with both wood and water, shaped by building homes on Martha’s Vineyard, building and repairing boats, and sailing throughout New England and beyond.

Although I first turned a bowl in shop class nearly fifty years ago, I returned to woodturning in 2018 when my Dad “loaned” me his second lathe. After moving to the Cape, I refined my turning skills through practice and membership in both the Cape Cod Woodturners and the American Association of Woodturners. During the COVID years, I was able to devote sustained time to the craft, developing a body of work that friends and family encouraged me to share more broadly.

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Much of the wood I use is sourced locally from Cape Cod homes and urban properties where trees have been removed. Through woodturning, I seek to give this material a second life, transforming it into functional vessels and sculptural forms that honor its history and character.

Among the species I work with most often are: Cherry, Maple, Black Walnut, Ash, American Elm, Ambrosia Maple and Box Elder.

I select each blank for the particular qualities it offers—its grain, figure, color, and subtle irregularities. Where a furniture maker or carver might avoid pronounced variation, I am often drawn to it. Distinctive grain patterns and even natural imperfections can become integral to the final piece, lending depth, individuality, and a sense of place.