Tucked away in a Port Orchard studio is a craft that most people only ever encounter as a finished object, a wooden bowl on a shelf, a handmade box with a hidden compartment, a graceful hollow vessel that looks impossible to have been carved from a single block of wood. Russell Neyman has spent the better part of three decades turning that craft into both an art form and a teaching practice, and locals who have found their way to his studio tend not to forget the experience.
From Inherited Tools to a Lifelong Craft
Neyman’s relationship with woodworking began roughly 25 years ago, when he inherited his grandfather’s cabinetmaking tools and began teaching himself joinery and finishing through patient trial and error. For years, woodworking remained a side pursuit alongside a career in sales and marketing. The turning point, quite literally, came when he set up an old Shopsmith machine and attempted his first bowl. That early piece of curly maple was rough by his own account, but it set him on a path he has followed ever since.
Today, Neyman is recognized as one of Port Orchard’s leading woodturners. He served as President of the Olympic Peninsula Woodturners Association for more than three years, and since stepping down from that role in 2016, he has focused his energy on teaching and mentoring the next generation of turners.
The Woodturning Experience
Out of that focus on teaching grew The Woodturning Experience, a program offering one-on-one sessions in Neyman’s professional studio in Port Orchard. The format is hands-on by design: students work directly with Neyman at the lathe, learning technique, safety, and the particular feel of the craft in a way that no instructional video can replicate. Nearly 1,000 people have turned a piece of wood under his guidance, ranging from complete beginners curious about a new hobby to retirees looking for a new creative outlet.
Neyman’s own work extends well beyond simple bowls. He is known for tall, dramatic hollow forms, vessels carved through openings so small that the entire interior must be removed with a series of long hooks and scrapers, often finished with a sweeping decorative finial. He also crafts gift boxes and small cabinets, some featuring hidden compartments that reveal themselves only once you know to look.
A Craft Worth Discovering in Person
What makes The Woodturning Experience distinctive in Kitsap County’s creative community is the access it offers. Rather than observing a finished piece in a gallery, visitors can sit down at the lathe themselves and leave with both a new skill and something they made with their own hands. For Port Orchard locals interested in woodturning, whether as a one-time experience or the start of a new hobby, Neyman’s studio remains one of the more genuine creative resources in the area.
How to Connect
The Woodturning Experience can be reached through its Facebook page, where session availability and updates are regularly posted. Those interested in scheduling a one-on-one session can send a message directly through Facebook to inquire about openings and rates.
Russell, if you’d like to add more detail about your studio, your work, class availability, or anything else Kitsap locals should know, reach out to us here and we’ll update this feature with your input.
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