Wood Bending Courses and Workshops
A structured program in bent form, from first principles to masterclass.
Wood bends. Given the right technique, heat, moisture and intention, timber that appears rigid will take a curve, hold a form, and become something that could not or should not have been cut from a straight board.
Moonlite Studios offers the most comprehensive wood bending program available in Australia. From a two-day introduction covering the four main bending methods, through to a five-day masterclass exploring bent form as sculptural expression, the program is designed to meet you where you are and take you further than you expected.
All workshops are taught by Ross Annels, who has been working with bent form for over 25 years across sculptural furniture, installation, commission work and teaching. Bending is not a peripheral technique in his practice. It is central to it.
The program
The entry point
Hot Pipe Bending 1 day · $150pp
The most accessible introduction to wood bending. No moulds, no complex equipment, just heat, timber and your hands. A full day of making and discovering, open to complete beginners.
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Starting out
Introduction to Wood Bending 2 days · $660pp
The entry point to the bending program. A comparative, hands-on introduction to the four main approaches: steam bending, kerf bending, bent lamination and coopering. You will work with each method and leave with a working understanding of when to reach for each one, and why.
Some woodworking experience is helpful but not essential. No prior bending experience required.
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Going deeper
Contemporary Coopered Form 2 days · $660pp
A focused workshop in coopering as a contemporary making practice. Coopering gives us hollow forms, tubes, shells and bowl forms at any scale, achieving sculptural possibilities that would be difficult or very wasteful using solid timber. One of the oldest and least-taught traditions in woodworking, and one of the most relevant to contemporary makers.
Open to all levels.
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Bent Form: Design and Studio Practice 2 days · $750pp
A design-focused studio workshop for designers, makers, artists and creative workers who want to move beyond the rectilinear. Begins with hot pipe bending as a physical modelling tool, fast enough to bend and rebend material in real time as ideas develop. No woodworking experience required.
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Masterclass
The Bent Stick and the Sculptural Form 5 days · $1,800pp
What happens when rigid becomes plastic? When stiff material surrenders to heat, moisture, and intention? This five-day masterclass is an invitation to listen differently, to hear the language of wood not as fixed and unyielding, but as responsive, alive, and full of possibility.
Working with steam boxes and microwaves, hot pipes and luthiers' pads, you will explore steam bending, coopering, lamination, kerf bending and more, not only to learn technique, but to feel where material resistance softens into material collaboration.
Open to all levels.
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Where to begin
Not sure which workshop is right for you? A rough guide:
If you have never bent wood before and want a broad foundation, start with Introduction to Wood Bending.
If you are a designer, artist or creative worker with little or no woodworking background, Bent Form: Design and Studio Practice is built for you.
If you are drawn specifically to hollow and vessel forms, Contemporary Coopered Form goes deep on that tradition.
If you want an immersive week exploring bending as sculptural expression and material dialogue, The Bent Stick and the Sculptural Form is the masterclass.
If you are unsure, contact Ross directly and he will help you find the right starting point.
What past participants say
"The most exhilarating day of woodworking ever." — Ioannis Benardos, Sturt School for Wood, 2025, after completing a laminated helical curve
"I'll never look at wood in the same way again." — Martin Stanley, Sturt School for Wood, 2025
About Ross Annels
Ross Annels has been working with bent form for over 25 years, across sculptural furniture, installation and commission work. He has taught at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine, Sturt School for Wood, the JamFactory, and the Queensland College of Art, as well as running workshops and mentoring programs from Moonlite Studios in Mount Egerton.
Moonlite Studios is located on Wadawurrung Country in Central Victoria, approximately 90 minutes from Melbourne and 30 minutes from Ballarat.
One-to-one mentoring in bending
If you would prefer to work one-to-one, mentoring in wood bending and bent form is available online and in person.
Moonlite Studios is a working furniture making and creative practice based in Mount Egerton, on Wadawurrung Country in Central Victoria.
View all courses and workshops · Frequently Asked Questions · Mentoring with Ross · Contact