Category Archives: bird bowls

Quiet Hen

Noise proves nothing.  Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she had laid an asteroid. Mark Twain, Following the Equator (1897) No asteroid under this chicken.  Since my last post, I finished her with oil … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, paint, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

The Return of the Swallows

This little guy was in the pear tree yesterday morning.  I hadn’t made any in awhile, which is a shame because they are a lot of fun to make.  I based the design on the swallow and their graceful curves … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, patterns, spoons, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Going with the Flow

Back in June, I wrote a post about splitting a large maple crook.  Here it is again, sitting on a rock in the Little Shenango River.  The arch from head through tail follows the grain of the crook, and the … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, finding wood, green woodworking, nature, photography, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Ale Hen

In one of my conversations with Beth Moen at Greenwood Fest, we talked about the use of aspen as a traditional wood for bowl carving.  Beth said that she liked Aspen because, although it is a relatively soft hardwood, the … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, historical reference, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged | 9 Comments

Swallows in Wood and in Motion

Last week, I finished these two swallow inspired bowls, one in maple and the other in cherry.  Then I found myself in Lou’s barn, a swallow haven. My friend Lou is a part-time sawyer who knows more about trees than … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, finding wood, nature, Uncategorized, video | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Back in the Swing

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. — Abraham Lincoln Although this is a widely known quote attributed to Lincoln, he probably never said it. Besides, Lincoln wouldn’t … Continue reading

Posted in axe, bird bowls, quotes and excerpts, sharpening, teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged | 3 Comments

Birding

While on a morning walk today, I spied a bird in this big branch crook.  The whole upper section of the branch above the crook had already died, so it was a good choice to collect. Smaller crooks will usually … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, carving, finding wood, green woodworking, nature, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Birds Ready to Fly to Plymouth

In addition to starting some larger walnut bowls, I’ve been working to get some examples finished to take to Plymouth for the Greenwood Fest in a couple weeks.  Among them are some lettering examples, a couple medium-sized bowls, and some bird … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 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