The Volcano Art Center Gallery will host the exhibit “Mydock: Visionary Wood Lathe Art” March 1-30, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday. An award-winning wood lathe artist, John Mydock will display his newest body of work, which represents his creative passion for turning and embellishing Hawaiian tropical hardwoods.
The Volcano Art Center Gallery will host the exhibit “Mydock: Visionary Wood Lathe Art” March 1-30, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday. An award-winning wood lathe artist, John Mydock will display his newest body of work, which represents his creative passion for turning and embellishing Hawaiian tropical hardwoods.
Mydock moved to Hawaii Island in 1998 from Florida, where he had been known primarily as an airbrush artist on motorcycles and antique automobiles. Seven years ago Mydock began to turn wooden vessels on a lathe. Since then he has developed two signature styles of embellishing his vessels — pearlizing and pyrography. With pearlizing, Mydock has reinvented his automotive techniques of airbrushing transparent candy color, gold leafing and pin striping to create a glass-like finish on wooden vessels. Mydock’s pyrography, or wood-burning, requires one to pause and look deeply to see the many images embedded within each individual piece.
The artist notes “My artistic intent for this show is to offer respect for the aina, for the majesty of our volcanoes and the many forms that Creation takes on our islands. My morphing pyrography depicts reef and ocean creatures, birds, petroglyphs, flowers and fauna. My pearlized pieces are representative of the many moods of the volcano and the ocean.”
Mydock will also be demonstrating his pyrography or wood burning techniques from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, on the gallery porch. Volcano Art Center Gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has represented the artists of Hawaii since 1974. Park entrance fees may apply. For more information, call the VAC Gallery at 967-7565 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.