Category Archives: bowls

Time for a Shave?

  A few days ago Chris Schwarz shared a post on the Lost Art Press blog about an old Estonian scorp used for general hollowing tasks.  Check out the post here.  Coincidentally, I had just stumbled upon the existence of … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, carving, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Bowl for Beginners and Beyond

I had been thinking about an ideal bowl design for the Plymouth CRAFT class, now only a month away.  This sample bowl is the result of those thoughts.  In addition to providing challenges for development of various skills, I wanted … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, classes, drying, finding wood, layout, patterns, proportions, teaching, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 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

Jolly Good Ale and Old

  William Stevenson was a sixteenth century English clergyman and playwright who also wrote this charming drinking song.  In it, we find reference to ale bowls, both “scour’d” and “lustily troll’d.”  And all wives should take notice of the generosity demonstrated by Tib. … Continue reading

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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

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

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

Almost Ready for Ale

I finished carving a couple personal-size ale bowls over the weekend.  These are the two I mentioned having roughed out in my recent post about ale bowls.  I haven’t oiled them yet, but I thought I’d share some photos of … Continue reading

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, historical reference, holding, layout, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments