I’m not as obsessed as Captain Ahab, but this whale has been surfacing in my mind for a couple years.
I think the idea for it came from carving bowls like this with the flutes on the end panels. They brought to mind the “ventral grooves” along the underside of a whale’s throat that allow the skin to expand like an accordion. I wanted to play around with the idea of using an upside-down (bark up) blank to make a whale bowl.
I started sketching lines on a half log of aspen, then started carving. Above, I’m working on the hollow with a bent gouge, more than a year ago.
Carving the flutes is just like on a non-whale bowl.
I was pretty happy with the form and lines of my first attempt. There it is above, last year.
Other projects occupied my time for a few months before I painted it with acrylics (unusual for me). I wasn’t happy with the paint job, so I carved all of the paint off. Then it sat there for several more months.
Recently, I went for it again with paint — this time with milk paint. I wanted some of the carving texture to read through. I rubbed it down with steel wool, then sealed it with a thin coat of shellac, then rubbed the shellac with steel wool and wax before a final buffing. There it is, above. I’m not completely pleased.
One of the issues is a little (too much) blotchiness here and there, especially that area on top of the tail. My fault for not keeping the thin layers of paint consistent enough. It didn’t really show up until the shellac hit it, but the same would have happened with oil.
There’s a shot of the underside before paint last year…
…and with paint now. I’m ok with that area.
So, a design in progress. I think I’ll let this one rest and do another one when I get a chance. It’s a fun bowl to carve and have on the table. And, lacking a green log, it can be carved from a 3″ thick plank. I’d like to put a tutorial together along with some plans if there might be interest.
Meanwhile, I’ve been happily working away on several other projects including a couple bowls-from-planks, in walnut. At least one of them will head up with me to Pete Galbert’s in August. As I’ve been carving, I’ve been taking extensive notes to further refine procedures and thoughts for the class. I’ll be teaching it again in October. Last I knew there was still one, or maybe two, openings left for the October class.
David Fisher, Carving Explorations 
When you’re carving those radial flutes, do you use a mallet? I’ve always found that a mallet can give me good directional and depth control, but the cut surface may not be quite what I’d like.
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Good question/observation, Kalia. I may rough some waste away with a mallet, especially for deeper/wider flutes, but I’ve always finished without a mallet. You’ve hit it on the head: the surface left behind is different. Using a grip that allows for a strong connection to the body is helpful. Here’s an old post where I dig a little deeper into flutes: https://davidffisher.com/2017/08/22/flute-playing/
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Very helpful, thank you!
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Beautiful work.
Pat
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”…this whale has been surfacing in my mind…”
I think I enjoy your writing as much as your carving…
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Dave, I love all of your work but I think this whale bowl is my favorite!! Every time I think you’ve hit the apex, you knock another one out of the park. There are other excellent craftsmen carving bowls but, for me, you bring a whole other level of artistry to this work and I’m always inspired by your craftsmanship, artistry, and attention to the smallest details. Thank you for what you do.
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Dave, Wonderful conception and finished piece. I like the paint and what you call “splotchy” color. In nature there are always color variations due to injuries and conditions. Also I like your response to Kalia and reference to the instructional link great information.
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I appreciate that, Skip.
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I”’d like to put a tutorial together along with some plans if there might be interest.”
Count me interested, Dave. Getting decent green bowl blanks and then finding/making time to use them in a timely manner can be a challenge for me. So your bowl from a plank has sparked my curiosity. Thank you.
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Glad to hear it, Phil. While there are certain designs that can only reasonably be accomplished with green wood, I want to continue to explore other designs that are more accessible and practical for many people, including those who are not interested in using an axe or adze. My next move with the whale, I think, will be to make two more — one from a log and one from a plank, recording the steps in detail along the way. At a certain point early on, the procedure will merge and be the same for both.
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By the way. What is the size of this aspen cetacean?
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15″ long, 6 1/2″ wide, 3″ high.
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Plus one here. Great idea!
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Thanks Dave for getting into deep water on this one. It does seem that the bowl form works well with whale embodiment. I love the way the fluting expresses so perfectly the ventral grooves. The chickens may get jealous but good to have yet another being represented in your bowl work. Glenn
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Aspen? In Pennsylvania? Thought is was a Rocky Mountain tree. Can you comment? BTW, love the whale bowl – a great concept!
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Thanks, Matt. Aspen, in this case “quaking aspen” (Populus tremuloides), goes way beyond the rockies. I think that perception may come from the fact that in the American west, it tends to grow particularly at high elevations, but it grows all over the place around here (along with “big tooth aspen”). Here is a link to the range map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_tremuloides#/media/File:Populus_tremuloides_range_map_2.png
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Thanks Dave, I had no idea. Learned something today …
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Great bowl David, original, personal and creative!
As a sometime free diver and fisherman, I wonder if some flat-fish might lend themselves to similar treatment?
BTW After years of carving bowls myself, it only recently struck me that the old dough bowls that first inspired me into this bowl interest/obsession were not only American but also American-style! I’ve followed the books and videos of venerable Swedes Willie Sunqvist & his son Jogge Sunqvist, for years but only after re-reading Drew Langsner’s book recently did I suddenly realize that I deliberately make most of my bowls deeper* than traditional Swedish bowls, more American in style 🙂 – well I did live in the USA for 14 years! (But now back in England, for some time.) Then again there is that video on YouTube of Jogge visiting a well known Swedish retired Architect/bowlcarver, was his name Beng <something>strom ?? David, weren’t you given one of his (presumably quite valuable) bowls?
*Even many of my long narrow ship-like bowls. Some are a little like Viking long ships I suppose but others are much deeper, more like British galleons or “ships of the line”! 😀
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Bengt Lidström.
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What a delight! It made me laugh (in a good way) the moment I saw the picture.
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Blotchy color exists in nature to, Dave.
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Thanks David :). Yes Bengt Lidström that’s the chap 🙂 , my memory is coming back :). The point I forgot to mention, above, in my original post was that some(/many/most?) of Bengt’s bowls are deep. So perhaps I should not discount Swedish influence! 😀
BTW A few years ago I bought, from the USA , what I believe is a very old Swedish axe (rather like Gransfor’s 1700-style axe). Shipped it back here to the United Kingdom; not cheap 😦 but it is very nice 🙂 It came from the USA near the East Coast, near the edge of the area once known as “New Sweden”!! It’s heavy with a hard steel bit, wonderful! Like something Willie might use/own! 😀 But not as practical as my old French side axe or my Gransfors Bruks/Willie Sunqvist Sloyd/carving side axe, so far anyway. But I made it a worthy, heavy-duty edge guard of thick English saddle leather, hand sewn and with big, traditional, copper leather rivets :). It looks “the business” 😀
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BTW Surprised you tried Acrylic paints at first, rather than Artists oil paints. Milk paint sounds like a very good choice though. 🙂
Some years ago I tried to camouflage my dive fins with Acrylic paint but it soon chipped of; I switched to artists’ oil paints and that was much more robust and longer lasting. :). Look at how many very old oil paintings still exist in this old world of ours!
Inspired by Jogge Sunqvist, I occasionally paint some of my wood work (so far: 2 spoons, one bowl and one ‘shooting board’ and its wedges) using artists’ oil paints thinned with raw linseed oil. I like the appearance and look forward to seeing how it ages :). I painted the bowl with several different colored layers ( including red, blue and gold) for my grand niece, in the hope that lower colours will gradually show through as it ages and wears 🙂
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Yes, I normally use artist oil paint or, more recently, milk paint. I suppose it was a bit of an experiment with acrylic. Many carvers use them quite successfully, including Sweden’s Anja Sundberg; you can see a photo of some of her painted pieces midway down this post: https://davidffisher.com/2019/08/28/taljfest-2019/ She’s a master of carving and painting.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the paints. I have several posts related to the topic; check under “paint” on the topic menu on the right side of the blog. I think I’ll be sticking with the artist oils and milk paint for now.
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