Category Archives: bird bowls

Carving Catalpa

Posted on September 6, 2020 by

When a friend of mine sent me this big chunk of fresh catalpa wood, some memories came to mind. When I was a kid we had a big catalpa tree in the yard and I had fun playing with the … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, layout, tools, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Little Hens

Posted on June 8, 2020 by

The walnut rooftop chickens I roughed out back in the spring are waiting for me.  Meanwhile, a friend took down a cherry tree in his yard and I used a piece to make a pair of mini versions.  It gave … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, green woodworking, holding, layout, patterns, sketch, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Back to the Hens

Posted on April 17, 2020 by

I remember first seeing The Serenity Prayer on a trivet that hung on my grandmother’s kitchen wall: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, holding, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Thankful for Birds and Trees

Posted on November 28, 2019 by

  This past summer, we were fortunate to have a pair of wrens make a home in our yard.  We enjoyed watching them flit around and hearing them sing.  It also reminded me of my grandmother who loved her “Jenny … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, tools, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Mulberry Rooster Bowl

Posted on September 15, 2019 by

In summer, the birds and I eat the mulberries from my neighbor’s tree.  We have a deal; the birds get the high ones and I get the low ones.  The other way around proved to be far too dangerous. A … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, tools, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Playing With Cool Sticks

Posted on June 23, 2019 by

Green woodworking can imply more than just the general notion of working wood that is still relatively fresh with a high moisture content.  Among other things, the term connotes the idea of working with nature, sensitively considering the unique attributes … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, figure, finding wood, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Rooftop Bird with 12/12 pitch

Posted on February 12, 2019 by

It’s been a couple years since I wrote this post about a bowl orientation I call a rooftop bowl.  In it, I discussed working with this type of blank and suggested experimenting with quarter-log splits and other angles.  Of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, finding wood, holding, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

Maple Hen

Posted on October 20, 2018 by

I just finished a hen bowl in maple and left it natural except for the bit of red paint on the comb.  Besides the lack of paint on the body, I made a couple other changes compared to those I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bird bowls, bowls, layout, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Bird Inspiration

Posted on July 18, 2018 by

The birds are singing in the rain about the small pond in front, the inquisitive chickadee that has flown at once to the alders to reconnoitre us, the blackbirds, the song sparrow, telling of expanding buds. Henry David Thoreau, journal … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, cherry, finding wood, nature, photography, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Revisiting the Ale Duck

Posted on February 14, 2018 by

It had been a while since I carved an ale bowl, so it was fun to make another recently, in this case an ale duck.  I’ve written several posts about ale bowls, including some that go into my carving process, but  … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bird bowls, carving, cherry, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments