Author Archives: Dave Fisher

Curtis Buchanan

I’ve not had the good fortune to meet Curtis Buchanan, but he is an inspiration.  A friend recently drew my attention to a new short film featuring some thoughtful insights from Curtis.  I just had to share it:

Posted in green woodworking, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized, video | Tagged | 5 Comments

Squirrels Love Bird Bowls

  You can’t be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet. — Hal Borland, Sundial of the Seasons (1964)

Posted in bird bowls, nature, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Beautiful Weather for Carving

Well, for carving inside anyway.  Temperatures in the low 40s, rain, and even snow this morning!  More encouragement to stay in the shop and continue work on some of the things I want to take as examples to Greenwood Fest in … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, carving, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

Exploring Bowl

As I began to hew this round cherry bowl, inspiration struck and I decided to have the exterior form flow over the rim as if to explore the interior.  Since then, the form has brought other ideas to mind, including that … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, cherry, Uncategorized | Tagged | 6 Comments

Sharpening an Adze

I took some photos tonight while I sharpened my adze.  I wrote about my general sharpening procedure for an axe in this post a while back.  The general idea is the same, but sharpening an adze can be more intimidating … Continue reading

Posted in adze, sharpening, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged | 6 Comments

By Hand and Eye: The New Website

Here are two of the most important tools in my shop, other than my hands and eyes.  The uses of a compass extend far beyond striking circles.  I use one, or more, on just about every project to aid in … Continue reading

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Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly

I recently completed this commission for the congregation of a California church.  They wished to honor their minister’s ten years of leadership with a bowl featuring their church motto, Micah 6:8.  It is a beautiful verse.  I was happy to play a … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, holding, Lettering, quotes and excerpts, sketch, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

April Rain

Let the rain kiss you Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops Let the rain sing you a lullaby — Langston Hughes, from April Rain Song Taken on a wonderfully rainy walk this evening.  

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Spring has Sprung

Last weekend, we had snow and lows in the teens — Winter’s last gasp, I think.  Today’s warm sun put me in the mood to snap these shots of some of the bird bowls I’ve been roughing out in preparation for … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, nature, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged | 8 Comments

Chip Carving for Warlike Men and School Girls

It is difficult to conceive the contradictory fact that this apparently simple form of art [chip carving] was once the exponent of a struggling desire for refinement on the part of fierce and warlike men, and that it should, under … Continue reading

Posted in books, carving, historical reference, patterns, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments