Category Archives: bowls

Perico the Bowlmaker

I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. How could I know? I could die right now, or maybe I’ll die tomorrow. When will it be? In the meantime, I’ll keep making bowls for as long as I can. … Continue reading

Posted in adze, axe, bowls, historical reference, Persons, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized, video | Tagged | 4 Comments

Bowl from Dry Walnut

Wood is much easier to carve when it’s green, and you can get right to work with a large blank of fresh uncracked wood straight from the tree. Then you can let the bowl dry, stress and crack free, before … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, carving, holding, patterns, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Drying for Carving Versus Turning

People, especially turners, are often surprised to hear that a bowl can be dry and ready for finish carving in as little as a couple weeks after carving it from green wood. I don’t know much about turning, but from … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, drying, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

New Walnut Bowl

This bowl started with a black walnut log about 13″ in diameter but only 13″ long. I split it into quarters and was able to get this bowl out of one of those sections. Bark up orientation, so the flow … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, carving, layout, patterns, proportions, sketch, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged | 21 Comments

Round Walnut Bowl Underway

The plan is to carve a deep round bowl from black walnut with a wide surface below the rim for a lettered inscription. Here, I’m refining the hollow with a crooked knife after having done the rest of the hollowing … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, drying, layout, proportions, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Frost and Form

You know, I’ve often said that every poem solves something for me in life. I go so far as to say that every poem is a momentary stay against the confusion of the world. But, of course, any psychiatrist will … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , | 5 Comments

That Line on the Outside of the Bowl

Mullet, D.A., rattail, fade, French braid — there are many options for what to do with the hair on the back of your head. Likewise for the outside of a bowl. Maybe it’s because my own hair situation provides me … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, cherry, layout, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 33 Comments

Into the Woods Exhibition

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

Carving American Chestnut 4: Two Finished Bowls

Here are the two bowls I made from the American Chestnut I started with in a post in June. The one on the left is the one I highlighted through the series of posts, so I’ll start with a few … Continue reading

Posted in bowls, patterns, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Carving American Chestnut 3: Foot Shape

Onto another stage with the chestnut bowl. Although a little bigger and deeper, the design of this bowl has much in common with the cherry bowl on the left. Same general upper outline, narrow side panel, arched top. But the … Continue reading

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