Category Archives: bird bowls

Catching Up

Posted on November 19, 2022 by Dave Fisher

It has been a busy fall filled with too many things to mention. One thing that has been keeping me occupied is preparation for a home transition. Since making the decision this past summer, we’ve cleared oodles of multi-flora rose … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Duckling Revisited

Posted on September 26, 2022 by Dave Fisher

The ducklings liked the new island so much that they decided to live there. All day long they follow the swan boats and eat peanuts. Robert McCloskey, Make Way for Ducklings (1941) As I finished this latest little duck bowl, … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bird bowls, cherry, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Nine, Ten, A …

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I’ve made a number of these hen bowls now since the first one six years ago. Different wood species, some painted, some natural. It’s been interesting to take the same design concept and push, pull, and stretch it in different … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bird bowls, proportions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

The Beginnings of a Rooftop Hen

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Dave Fisher

There’s a hen bowl in that big chunk of butternut. I’ve made some of these bowls (call them hens, roosters, fowl…) using various log orientations, but the most common have been what I call rooftop bowls. The drawing below accompanied … Continue reading →

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

Summer’s Calling

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Dave Fisher

We just had our first full week of summer-like weather, and it had me outside working and preparing some material for some of the projects I’m looking forward to. Some of them are in that willow basket waiting for the … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, layout, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Goose-Inspired Sugar Maple Bowl

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Dave Fisher

What a dull world if we knew all about geese! Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (1949) Geese still hold plenty of mystery for me. In this part of the world, they are Canada geese. Their abundance makes them easy … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, figure, finding wood, nature, quotes and excerpts, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 28 Comments

Winter Whittled Bird

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Dave Fisher

On a “cold, cold, wet day” this past weekend, I sat warm and dry in the shop by the window and whittled a little bird from a pine branch. Winter birds bring a special joy. It’s magical to be in … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, carving, finding wood, nature, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

Maple Branch to Maple Bird

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Dave Fisher

A blank canvas can be daunting. I like how the peculiarities in a piece of tree focus the possibilities for me. I just finished this bird bowl from a twisted maple branch and I thought I’d share some photos I … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, figure, layout, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged | 12 Comments

Into the Woods Exhibition

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Dave Fisher

The lag since my last post along with the reports of Ida rains drenching Pennsylvania led some folks to kindly email me to see if all was well. The upper edge of Ida’s swath fell short of us here in … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, events, finding wood, Lettering, nature, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Odd Birds (and Other Winged Things)

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Dave Fisher

At first glance, this rhododendron bird bowl seems typical of other bird bowls I’ve carved, but this one was an experiment in working with crotch wood. As usual, I learned from it. There’s the huge rhododendron Y above. The area … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, nature, trees, Uncategorized | 13 Comments