Category Archives: bowls

Making the Best of It

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Dave Fisher

Limits encourage creativity.  This is evident in many aspects of life, such as when a resourceful home cook manages to create a splendid meal from the few things left in the cupboard.  Or when an aging athlete expertly adapts his … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, finding wood, layout, Lettering, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged | 26 Comments

Knotty Story

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Dave Fisher

This tale from my isolated workshop is actually quite tame compared to Boccaccio’s famous ones from the 14th Century told by a group of friends isolating themselves in an Italian villa; unfortunately timely circumstances. Amid the adjustments to the ever … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, bowls, layout, nature, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Silver Maple Bowl

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Dave Fisher

Now that I’ve made several pieces from silver maple, I feel like I’m starting to understand its character.  I compare it to a no-nonsense laborer who wears flashy underpants beneath his overalls.  You know. Based on what I’ve read recently, … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, green woodworking, historical reference, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Hungarian Super Bowl

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Dave Fisher

Now that the Super Bowl of American football is over, feast your eyes on some amazing feats of coordination and teamwork in Hungary.  I believe the narration is in Hungarian, but the video is multi-lingual.  Huge bowls like this seem … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, historical reference, holding, Uncategorized, video | Tagged , | 28 Comments

Ambrosia Maple Bowl

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Dave Fisher

A little bread—a crust—a crumb— A little trust—a demijohn— Can keep the soul alive— — Emily Dickinson, from Poem 159 (1896) Looking back, I was surprised at how long it had been since I’d carved a lettered bowl like this.  … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, figure, Lettering, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Two Upcoming Exhibitions

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Dave Fisher

If you’re in the neighborhoods of Asheville, NC or Rockport, ME, there are two exhibitions coming up that may interest you. Opening first is Spoonin’: A Showcase of Handcrafted Spoons that will run from 14 September through 13 October at … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, events, spoons, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Branches, Barn’s Book, and Bowls

Posted on August 1, 2019 by Dave Fisher

The gnarled rhododendron branches you see above are what I call neighborwood.  On my walks around my neighborhood I often find piles of pruned branches or, in this case, the remnants of a large rhododendron that had been cut down.  … Continue reading →

Posted in books, bowls, finding wood, Uncategorized | Tagged | 5 Comments

Playing With Cool Sticks

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Dave Fisher

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

Bitty Bowl

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Dave Fisher

That’s either a mutant lemon or a really small bowl.  As you probably guessed, it’s a small bowl — less than nine inches long (8 7/8″ x 3 3/4″ x 2 1/4″ high).  It came from this 5″ diameter branch … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Yup’ik Bentwood Bowls

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Dave Fisher

Among the many traditions of bowl carving is the Yup’ik method of bending a separate length of wood that attaches to the hollowed base and serves as a higher rim.  The interaction between material, hands, eyes — and teeth — … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, historical reference, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 17 Comments