Damien McNamara: "I like my pieces to be honest."
‘Nothing perfect. Everything meaningful.’ In his own words, Damien McNamara is a central Victorian woodworker and woodturner who ‘collaborates with nature’ to amplify its organic nature and waste not one part of it.
Using mainly storm-fallen timber he creates turned forms that speak to the unique properties of each piece of wood. We asked about the why and how of his woodworking.
Q: Who is Damien McNamara and what got you started on the woodworking path?
I'm a 31 year old woodturner based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. I got started in woodworking when I was in high school. I really got drawn in by the design and then the construction of the pieces.
I went on to start an apprenticeship in carpentry and then decided to pursue building design instead, as the design aspect was what I really enjoyed. After studying and working as a building designer for a few years I ended up having to take a step back and eventually leave all together after a mixture of burnout and depression took its toll.
It was during that time, that I realised just how much woodworking was keeping me afloat and I decided to try and make it my full time work. I had never turned before, but it looked like something I'd enjoy, so I bought a lathe, watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials, and got over the fear of that piece of wood spinning very fast in front of me and haven't looked back.
Q: Is this your job, your passion or both? What do you mainly make?
My job and passion, though it's currently not quite full time (I still do a bit of building design on the side), but the majority of my time is spent turning. I mainly make bowls, vases, and clocks with the occasional side table thrown in.
Q: What are your main design influences?
I draw a lot of influence from Japanese woodworkers and the wabi-sabi aesthetic. I source all my timber from trees that have come down in storms or for reasons other than my use. I don’t like wasting timber and that has led me to using every bit of the tree that I can. I won’t be cutting out imperfections in the tree but rather try to use them as much as I can.
I like my pieces to be honest about what they are, to not hide away from the flaws and imperfections but to highlight them and make them central to the overall design.
Q: Who are your woodworking heroes/gods/gurus (and why)?
Because his videos pretty much taught me how to turn, Shawn Graham from the YouTube channel wortheffort is my woodturning guru. But from a design aspect, Ash and Plumb in the UK are also up there.
Q: Your most often-made mistake?
Being overly ambitious about the capacity and ability of my lathe, it’s led to bowls flying apart and recently I burnt the motor out. But it’s all part of the fun.
Q: Your biggest woodworking disaster!!?
The hollow form vase I had spent three or four hours on that day, probably six hours all up. I was pretty much done but had the stupid idea that I could make it thinner. It hurt to have to collect all the pieces off the floor and chuck them in the fire.
Q: Your biggest woodworking achievement?
I was at a market, a woman was looking very thoroughly at my work and I asked her if she needed a hand with anything. She told me she was just trying to choose a bowl for her collection. I assumed she just collected timber bowls and said as much to her but she replied ‘Oh no, my collection of your work’.
Q: The thing I would most like to change about my own woodworking is…
...to stop being so heavy handed with the blow torch as I’m burning the timber. it can sometimes look really cool, don’t get me wrong, but I’d like to stop burning through the bowls as often.
Q: Your favourite woods (and why)?
The root ball of a silver princess tree, I’ve got a series of bowls and vessels drying out currently and the colours and patterns in them are amazing. It's a nightmare to dig out of the ground, but the result is absolutely worth it.
Q: What do you love most about woodworking?
The moment I’m holding a finished piece for the first time and remembering all the work that went into it. Cutting the timber up from the log, the turning and the sanding. It’s an amazing feeling I’ve never tired of.
Q: My best tip to other makers is…
Have faith in your artistic intent. Everyone has opinions on what a timber bowl should be, but their bowls aren’t your bowls. Goes for anything in woodwork, if you have an idea, go for it. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it'll be yours and it'll be a statistical anomaly if you are the only one that likes it.
See Damien McNamara's Maker of the Year 2025 entry
Photos courtesy Damien McNamara @mc.woodcrafts
Learn more at www.mcwoodcrafts.com.au
Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec, is a competition for all makers, amateur, professional and student, and showcases the wonderful things they make from wood. In 2025 we present a series of interviews with some of the makers who have already entered their work.
Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec is open for entry to makers all over the world. In addition to awards totalling A$19,500 in value, The Jan Pennell Award (A$1,500) will be made to an entry that displays outstanding woodturning. This entry will be selected from the Top 100 shortlisted entries across all Maker of the Year categories including Furniture, Arts & Objects and Student. Local and international makers are eligible to win this award.
In addition, the A$1000 Recycled & Rescued Award will be made to an entry that displays outstanding use of recycled and reused materials. This entry will also be selected from the Top 100 shortlisted entries across all categories. Local and international makers are eligible to win this award.
Enter Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec
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