Ken Perkins
Following a 39 year career as a professor of sociology at Longwood University, I dove into my love of woodworking to fill my days. With encouragement from my wife Marie, I shared my work with Red Door 104 gallery. Not only did they accept my work to display and sell, I was invited to join their gallery collective of local artists!
The lathe is my favorite woodworking tool. I have been turning wooden objects for about 25 years. I am not snobbish when it comes to turned objects. Bowls are my favorite, even though they can demand quite tedious work. Pepper mills, though a common functional item, can have an artistic flair. Writing pens as well as decorative bottle stoppers can generate conversation if they have good form and are turned from unique wood.
I prefer to turn interesting wood that I have gathered myself. Also, when I can, I like to record the GPS coordinates for where the tree lived, out of respect for what I like to think of as the gift from that once living thing. God and nature have made the natural wood beautiful; I just help show it off.
In addition to woodworking, I have been enjoying the craft of roasting coffee beans. My children gifted me a simple hot-air home roaster over 18 years ago and I have been enjoying it ever since. My teaching philosophy for roasting coffee is simple; students need to see it done, and hear it especially. Yes, home roasting is both visual and auditory. And, of course, taste it.
I live in Prospect Virginia with my wife Marie where we raised our two (now grown) children.
