In the gifted hands of John Mydock, blocks of rigid wood are transformed into art that curves, bends and even seems to shine like glass.

The renowned Hawaii island artist, who goes by just his last name professionally, uses the painstaking processes of pyrography and pearlizing to embellish his vessels. Taking 10 to 100 hours to complete, they have become his signatures.

Mydock defines pyrography as drawing on wood with hot pens in a style akin to scrimshaw. Petroglyphs, Polynesian tattoos and marine animals — including fish, dolphins, whales and Hawaiian sea turtles — are favorite subjects for his intricate designs.

For pearlized vessels, Mydock first airbrushes multiple layers of vivid iridescent colors on the wood (the colors are transparent, allowing the grain to show through). When those layers have dried, he applies two coats of clear urethane, which enhances the colors’ intensity and durability. After that dries, he sands and buffs the piece by hand, then repeats the process until he has achieved the effect he wants: a glossy surface that gives the illusion of glass.

From the time he could hold a crayon, Mydock, who hails from Miami, was drawing anything that popped into his head — birds, dragons, cartoon characters and more — on his bedroom walls. From there his artistic path was circuitous: helping his godfather build and restore mahogany speedboats as a teen; studying sculpture at the University of Miami and painting at the University of Florida; airbrushing designs on hot rods, antique cars and custom motorcycles after college; creating logos, billboards and murals on buildings for a sign shop that he owned in Miami; and painting pictures for ads on store windows when he moved to Hawaii island in 1998.

"But wood turning tops them all," said Mydock, who learned the craft in 2007 from Elmer Adams, one of the founding members of the Big Island Woodturners. "It’s a meditative experience — free-form artistic expression that magically appears out of a discarded log or limb that could’ve become firewood."

He works primarily with Norfolk pine because it’s abundant on Hawaii island. Another favorite is milo because its chocolate-colored center and white layer next to the bark make a striking contrast when turned. And although it’s pricey, he loves koa’s rich colors and interesting grains.

"I love where art takes me," Mydock said. "There are so many transcendental moments where I find myself in a peaceful, quiet space — not thinking, just watching the art come to life. As the wood spins on my lathe, it sings to me; each vessel has a song of its own."

Mydock and some 35 other members of the Big Island Woodturners are putting the finishing touches on their latest works for their annual show at Hilo’s Wai­loa Center. The exhibit will showcase more than 100 entries; at least part of every entry must have been turned on a lathe.

"Entries might also be carved, burned, sculpted and/or colored," said Doug­las Leite, the BIW’s president. "There will also be ‘out-of-the-box’ entries, including miniature turnings under 1 inch tall and segmented turnings made of rings, each put together with 16 to 24 different pieces of wood."

This is the BIW’s 17th annual show; Leite has participated in every one since its inception. According to him, the first event showcased 40 entries by 10 members. The BIW has grown dramatically since then, and so has its show.

"Many visitors tell us they plan their yearly Hawaiian vacations around our exhibit," Leite said. "They come to see the newest creations by our outstanding artists, to learn about local and exotic woods and conservation of resources, and to gain insights into the latest trends, techniques and tools of our craft."

Like painters, wood turners have specialties: One BIW member creates only miniatures; another likes to make segmented vessels; still another focuses on pieces with edges that preserve the natural, uneven contours of the wood. Most of the items have been made just for the show and will be available for sale for $25 to $8,000 and up.

For Leite, wood turning is a joyous, stimulating, satisfying pastime. "It’s a challenge to look at raw wood and figure out what I’m going to make with it," he said. "Sometimes what I wind up with is very different from what I first imagined. Working on a new piece is always a new adventure, and it’s so gratifying when someone’s reaction to it is ‘Wow!’"

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.

ABOUT THE BIG ISLAND WOODTURNERS

The nonprofit Big Island Woodturners was established in 1997 with five members, including Douglas Leite, its current president. An official chapter of the American Association of Woodturners, it has more than 70 members statewide as well as in California, Ohio, Iowa, Texas and the Netherlands.

"At the outset, we decided our members must have fun or it wouldn’t be worth having a wood-turning club," Leite said. "We also decided membership would be open to turners, wannabe turners and even people who aren’t artists but want to hang around with them. We welcome members from anywhere in the state, country or world, not just the Big Island. And we don’t have dues; people join just by attending meetings."

The BIW meets on the second Saturday of the odd-numbered months (March, May, etc.). For more information, go to www.bigislandwoodturners.org or contact Leite at 987-8951 or djmleite@hawaiiantel.net.