I just finished a hen bowl from black walnut. I’ve made a bunch of these hen/chicken/fowl-inspired bowls over the years. No two of them have been quite the same. Every time I start one I have some uncertainty about how all of the elements are going to come together in the end. Considering all of the details at once can be overwhelming and stop progress.
Here’s that same bowl very early in the process. Roughly a quarter section of the log, but with the wide band of sapwood already split off. At this point, I don’t have to know what the beak is going to be shaped like, or how I’m going to texture the surfaces, or how wide the wings will be. I just put all of that out of my mind for now. I know that I can cross those bridges in time.
Granted, wood carving is a reductive process; once wood has been removed, it’s gone. So I try not to burn too many bridges along the way. There’s a balance and it becomes easier to manage with experience. Even after just going through a process a time or two, the familiarity is reassuring.
Knowing that this bowl will have a “rooftop” orientation, I needed to shave those upper surfaces and the bottom flat. While I’m shaving, the next necessary step is getting done and I can start to think about what overall proportions for layout would work well with this log — the next thing.
With the layout done, I can hollow and hew the piece to rough shape, then pause to think about an appropriate undercut for the wings. And as the bowl sits and dries, I’ll have plenty of time to consider that beak shape.
Keep things in perspective. You don’t have to make the perfect decision for it to be a good decision. There will be other pieces of wood. This is not a matter of whether to snip the red wire or the green wire. And if you’re temporarily stumped on what to do next, sharpen something. That is always a good next thing to do, and it will free up your mind.
Here’s an overall shot of the finished bowl.
Another of the tail section.
And one of the underside, with the egg-shaped foot. I already have a home for this one.
Before my first bird bowl class at Pete Galbert’s in June, I’m going to work on a version of the hen bowl form to bring to the class as a teaching example. Registration opened Monday for the two bird bowl classes this year. The June session is full but there is one opening left for the October session.
Meanwhile, I’m gathering things together to take to my Bowl Exploration class at Pete’s in a couple weeks. I’ve tweaked a few things for the class. In addition to making a long serving/bread/fruit bowl with decorated handles, we’re going to each make a smaller bowl that will introduce other techniques to transfer to all sorts of designs.
I’m calling it an “ice-cream bowl.” It’s just the right size, the wood insulates from the heat of your hand, and it just sounds better than a “broccoli bowl.” We’ve got a great group of people ready to go, but there’s room for one more if you can make it on brief notice. Starts March 10.
David Fisher, Carving Explorations 
you have the coolest way to express details
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That is one beauteous chunk of walnut, turned into something even nicer. Thanks for sharing the early steps and thought process.
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Wonderful post as always, Dave. I especially appreciated “And if you’re temporarily stumped on what to do next, sharpen something.”
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Hello David, In the underside of the bowl I see a different piece of wood. Is that insert based on the same process as a Shrink Tube?
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Hi Andras. It’s not a separate piece of wood. The foot is egg-shaped, so I did some simple relief carving to form a contoured egg within the perimeter of the foot, then painted it off-white with milk paint.
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What a gorgeous bowl, you continue to delight and inspire. thank you.
“if you’re temporarily stumped on what to do next, sharpen something”
This literally what I do, and now I know I’m not alone.
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Excellent as always, David! Love the photos. Now I need to go sharpen something… 😄
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David…Always inspirational. Thank you.
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should be great–bowls super as always and love the colors
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Stumbled across your site as I research new career strains after being laid off. Some real artistry going on here. Keep it up! Will stay tuned.
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Very sorry to hear about your lay off. That’s quite a blow, but best wishes as you move forward. Lemons to lemonade I hope! Thanks for saying hello and for staying tuned.
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Beautiful!
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I love your new egg shaped foot! How fun. Details matter, but not all at once. Sage advise. thanks for sharing.
I took your advise and started writing. Contributing to my local club’s monthly newsletter. I’m liking it.
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beautiful work as always. Im still saving up and planning to come to a class one day! Keep going my friend!
I was wondering: you have said multiple times you wait til drying for the final carving, you may have said why but I missed it.. might I ask?
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There are a few reasons, Evan. The main one is that, in just about all cases, you can get a much better surface finish from the tools by doing the final cuts once the wood has dried. The fact that the wood has hardened, allows for more control when carving details and small chamfers and such. It also allows you to make minor changes to the form if some distortion has occurred as the wood moved during drying. Another reason is that most woods will change color as they dry due to oxidation on the surface. If you make any little changes after drying, the freshly cut spot stands out like a sore thumb.
All that said, it is absolutely fine to go ahead and completely carve a piece while green, then let it dry and move a bit and oxidize and stay that way. In fact this can be a very good strategy for especially organic and free forms.
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Wow thank you so much for your thorough response. It is such a well written response; I should not be surprised that someone so highly skilled would be so precise with their writing.
As I read this eloquent response I, with what little experience I have, understand well what you mean. The oxidation sometimes bothers me, especially when contrasted with the new cuts. I have pondered experimenting with linseed oil coats before the drying in attempts to save the “green” color.
Again much obliged,
Evan A Mathers
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“Keep things in perspective. You don’t have to make the perfect decision for it to be a good decision. There will be other pieces of wood. This is not a matter of whether to snip the red wire or the green wire.”
Honestly that is the first thing today that makes me a bit less anxious on how to process a lovely supply of cherry I got. I have been losing my sleep even on how to split it before freezing it!
The insight is as always eye-opening!
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