During the patron party at Loveland Sculpture in the Park this past Friday, I was delighted to meet Doug Schneiter, Loveland, CO woodturning artist. This event showcases exquisite talent. Many of the pieces easily go for $50,000 plus and are worth every cent. As I strolled through the aisles, I thought I saw intricate baskets in one of the booths. Soon I discovered, the artist creates his pieces out of wood by turning, burning and then adding intricate bits of color. The end result is a basketweave pattern.
Doug began focusing on artistic woodturning in the mid-90’s. He was inspired by the work of David Nittmann to develop what David termed as “basket illusion.” David Nittmann passed away on August 13, 2014, but his memory lingers on through the work of Doug Schneiter.
Doug had a continuous stream of people coming to his booth at the sculpture show and sold two pieces while I was talking to him about his work.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Doug Schneiter would create a few smaller pieces to be featured at the Loveland Visitors Center. Visitor Center Manager, Gary Light, happened to stop by Doug’s booth at the same time that I did. He knew Doug and has been suggesting this idea to him for quite some time. Gary spotlights all things Loveland at the Visitors Center and you can find unique gifts produced by local artists. Lovelanders may not be aware of the high quality items that Gary selects for the Center. The program that I work for, the Loveland Business Development Center is located in the same building as the Visitors Center. I will be checking in to see if Doug’s beautiful artwork shows up.
