Inspiration in Nature - A.A. Woodturning

Alan Adler is a New Jersey-based woodworker and founder and CEO of two companies.  After graduating Pratt Institute with a masters degree in Package Design, he used that degree to construct two businesses– Source Packaging and Cases by Source. He has been a featured artist at Just Jersey since 2019, and his  handcrafted jewelry, wooden bowls and bottle stoppers are store favorites!

Three decades into his business endeavors, Alan decided to invest more time into art and creating for his personal enjoyment.  He became fascinated with the process of woodturning after seeing a Norfolk Island Pine Bowl in a gallery, and decided using wood as a medium was a perfect blend of his love for building furniture and his desire to reconnect with his design roots and further explore his creative side.  Upon starting his creative journey, Alan primarily created his works with a wood lathe.  The machine is used to rotate the wood around a horizontal axis, and the artist cuts, sands, drills and shaves the wood to produce the desired product.

12 years later Alan has curated countless wood pieces, including bowls, platters, vases, intricate statues, and jewelry.  He has also explored other techniques to add to his repertoire, and has found that airbrushing, pyrography and carving (often without the lathe), are other methods he enjoys. 

In addition to wood, Alan has also adopted resin as another medium to work with, and has also incorporated colored pencils into his work!  He admires artists Matisse, Magritte, Mondrian and Stella, and finds inspiration in nature and the wood itself.  Alan cites colors, patterns and textures of the natural world as the muse for many of his pieces, and that exploring each individual piece of wood is an exciting process that nothing compares to.

When not creating, Alan enjoys spending time with his five grandchildren and visiting his vacation home on Eastern Long Island.  He is also a consultant to the design and manufacturing business that he founded. 

Shop Just Jersey's full collection of Alan AdlerWoodworking designs HERE.