Author Archives: Dave Fisher

Carving American Chestnut 4: Two Finished Bowls

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Here are the two bowls I made from the American Chestnut I started with in a post in June. The one on the left is the one I highlighted through the series of posts, so I’ll start with a few … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, patterns, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Make a Book Box

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Dave Fisher

A few years ago, I made a shrink pot for my daughter in the the form of a book (photo below). I think I had first seen an example made by Jögge Sundqvist. It is simply a shrink pot with … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Lettering, quotes and excerpts, shrink box, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 26 Comments

Carving Book for Kids of All Ages

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Dave Fisher

There’s a great kid in my neighborhood, Conner, who pops over to play with Chip, help stack wood, or look for fishing worms under logs. He’s also taken an interest in carving and was excited when I showed him Frank … Continue reading →

Posted in books, carving, nature, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Carving American Chestnut 3: Foot Shape

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Onto another stage with the chestnut bowl. Although a little bigger and deeper, the design of this bowl has much in common with the cherry bowl on the left. Same general upper outline, narrow side panel, arched top. But the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, layout, patterns, proportions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Bird Bowl from Straight Grain

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Most of the bird bowls I make come from crooks, with the form following the flow of the fibers. In designing and making this bowl, I tried to achieve similar lines and a sense of movement within the constraints of … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, figure, finding wood, layout, patterns, quotes and excerpts, sketch, tools, trees, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Small Side Panel Cherry Bowl

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Dave Fisher

A few days ago I finished this cherry bowl for a local fundraiser. It features a relatively narrow side panel below the edge of the rim that makes an ideal spot for some chip carving. I took a few shots … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, cherry, finding wood, holding, layout, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

The Handcarved Bowl by Danielle Rose Byrd

Posted on June 15, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Danielle Rose Byrd has created a helpful and insightful resource for bowl carvers of any experience level. The Handcarved Bowl covers everything from finding material, sharpening, carving, decorating, and more. Much more detail about the book, including the Table of … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Uncategorized | Tagged | 9 Comments

Carving American Chestnut 2: A Full Hollow

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Following up on this post about carving a bowl in American chestnut, I’ll share some photos and thoughts on the hollowing process. That cross grain trench in the photo above is something I’ve discussed in more detail before. It establishes … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, bowls, carving, sketch, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Carving American Chestnut

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Dave Fisher

The solstice may still be a couple weeks away, but the first day of summer for me was yesterday. I celebrated by digging in to a special log. American chestnut. Big, green, American chestnut. I carved some chestnut a few … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, historical reference, layout, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 23 Comments

Pennsylvania Birds

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Birds are a frequent subject in just about every folk art tradition in the world. I’m interested in the common threads that weave through the work of different cultures. A couple books I picked up, used, have inspired me to … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, books, historical reference, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments