With eyes on the planet, an LA woodworker turns fallen trees into stunning vessels

Standing on a blanket of sawdust in the Los Angeles Fashion District woodshop she shares with two other woodworkers, Julie Jackson puts on a protective face shield and turns on her lathe.

Armed with a turning chisel called a bowl gouge and dressed in a green Big Bud Press jumpsuit, Jackson proceeds to mold the rough-hewn piece of black walnut similar to a potter forming a vessel on a potter's wheel. After a few moments of turning, the subtle grains of wood begin to emerge, and the block of wood begins to resemble a dry vase.

"I enjoy all of the things that I do with wood, including making furniture, but turning is definitely my favorite," says Jackson. "I