Back to the question at hand, I think Doug has it correct, just like Lady Gaga, you know it when you see it.
The question then becomes, we weren't born with it so how did we acquire that skill? Some obviously have had training that helped develop that skill, however most here I'd guess haven't.
For me, it wasn't anything I consciously tried to learn, but rather a lifetime of observation, and somewhere in the deep part of my brain something stuck. From the time we were all little kids, there were objects/toys, bicycles, cars, people, furniture, houses, colors, etc that we either loved, hated or were indifferent about. Those observations/feelings over time merged into a personal style.
Speaking of tactile, here is a piece of furniture that has always held a special place. In particular, the spiral on the drop down writing table. I remember as a young kid being fascinated with the spiral and constantly running my finger in the spiral from one end to the other, over and over. I don't know what that says about me, but it is one distinct memory that is tied to a piece of furniture.
Two points on tactile sensation. Everybody loves running their hands over a nicely smoothed piece of lumber, furniture, etc, but only fellow woodturners stick their fingers into the narrow mouth of vessels to feel around.
The second point is blind wood turners. There aren't many that I know of, but there are a few that are very accomplished/famous turners, with essentially zero eye sight. Their input into the shape of an object is entirely through touch. There is a lesson for all in that.
I don't spend time "caressing" my turnings, but am constantly amazed at what I can feel vs what I see. Touch can sense much more, and anyone who spends much time turning uses their fingers as much or more than their eyes when trying to perfect a curve or a taper.
The question then becomes, we weren't born with it so how did we acquire that skill? Some obviously have had training that helped develop that skill, however most here I'd guess haven't.
For me, it wasn't anything I consciously tried to learn, but rather a lifetime of observation, and somewhere in the deep part of my brain something stuck. From the time we were all little kids, there were objects/toys, bicycles, cars, people, furniture, houses, colors, etc that we either loved, hated or were indifferent about. Those observations/feelings over time merged into a personal style.
Speaking of tactile, here is a piece of furniture that has always held a special place. In particular, the spiral on the drop down writing table. I remember as a young kid being fascinated with the spiral and constantly running my finger in the spiral from one end to the other, over and over. I don't know what that says about me, but it is one distinct memory that is tied to a piece of furniture.
Two points on tactile sensation. Everybody loves running their hands over a nicely smoothed piece of lumber, furniture, etc, but only fellow woodturners stick their fingers into the narrow mouth of vessels to feel around.
The second point is blind wood turners. There aren't many that I know of, but there are a few that are very accomplished/famous turners, with essentially zero eye sight. Their input into the shape of an object is entirely through touch. There is a lesson for all in that.
I don't spend time "caressing" my turnings, but am constantly amazed at what I can feel vs what I see. Touch can sense much more, and anyone who spends much time turning uses their fingers as much or more than their eyes when trying to perfect a curve or a taper.
