I thought long and hard about what to carve on the handle of this boxelder (acer negundo) ladle. Crooks with a bend like this one don’t come along every day. I decided that “savor” was a good word for a serving ladle and a good reminder for life in general.
The ladle underway. The grain of the crook flows down through the handle and up through the bottom surface of the bowl.
In addition to catching up with some requests, I want to continue to mix in available pieces like this one. I’ve just popped it onto the website now, and some additional photos are in the slideshow below. 10 inches long, 3 3/8 inches wide, with a deep bowl that will hold a half cup of soup.
David Fisher, Carving Explorations 
Stunning Dave. Love the fullness of the bowl, the textures of the tool marks, and the restrained use of color. Masterful.
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That one’s a real beauty! I’m curious about the carving on the handle. Did you paint after carving the letters or before? I could see it going either way.
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Thanks, Kalia. Good question. I painted before carving the letters, then cut through the paint. You’ve got to watch how much you thin the paint (this was artist oil color thinned with flax oil). If the paint is too thin and absorbs too deeply into the wood, a bit of the color can be exposed on the upper edges of the sides of the letters.
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ah c’mon Dave stop it–this is just gorgeous–
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Always so beautiful! I wish I lived closer so I could learn from you. My husband says it just takes practice. Hummm.
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Oh my. The back of the ladle takes my breath away.
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Beautiful ladle! – May I ask how you went about carving out such a deep bowl?
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Thanks. I start squeezing the handle in a vise and hogging away some material with a gouge, but then the depth and undercutting require me to switch to hook tools (bent knives) to reach in and really shape the interior.
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