Bowls to Birds

BY BOB ANN BRELAND SPECIAL TO THE DAILY NEWS

What exactly is art, and how does one define it?

To some, it may be endearing music played by extraordinary musicians. To others, it is beautiful oil paintings by creative artists with brushes. Or massive sculptures, by those who see the world in a big way.

To John B. Green, art is found using a basic medium of ordinary pieces of wood.

He became really interested in the beauty of wood as art years ago when he went to visit a local well-known wood turner. He was so impressed with the man’s wooden objects, he purchased some as Christmas gifts for business customers.

“The good thing was -- they liked the wood gifts as well as I,” Green said. He knew he was also interested in learning to do this, so he kept gaining information.

When he went on a cruise the ship stopped at a small island, where he learned a good deal about wood turning.

“There had been a steel mill there which had closed, and the town was glad to see us and gave us a tremendous welcome. I saw a guy selling wooden objects. He had something I liked and I bought it,” he said.

He asked the man about learning to wood turn and he told Green to buy the best wood lathe he could find and some really good tools. Green did buy good tools and an excellent lathe – actually several of them in the years to come!

He was very pleased when his first attempt to turn wood was successful. He went on with just wood-turning various objects for quite a while – and still does.

While Green continued to be intrigued with wood-turning, there was