Category Archives: figure

Dealing with Interlocked Grain

Posted on August 18, 2020 by

Trees do funny things.  This cherry was taken down a few months ago in a friend’s yard.  This section has a 4 1/2″ radius and 55 growth rings.  We tend to think of the fibers going straight up the trunk … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, figure, finding wood, green woodworking, holding, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Revisiting Thoreau’s Tray

Posted on March 8, 2020 by

Our life is frittered away by detail . . . I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on … Continue reading →

Posted in drying, figure, green woodworking, historical reference, Lettering, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Ambrosia Maple Bowl

Posted on January 8, 2020 by

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

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

Feline Inspiration

Posted on December 28, 2018 by

You can learn a lot by watching cats.  They are studies in elegant movement and sinuous lines. Our cat, Mavis (named after a Thomas-the-Train engine), is sixteen years old.  Quick sketches of him appear here and there through my sketchbooks.  … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, figure, patterns, proportions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Posted on June 24, 2018 by

“Please, do not touch.”  There are certain posted signs that disappoint me, but perhaps none more than that.  I can deal with “Stay off the Grass.”  In fact, I may have had no desire to walk on the grass, at … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, figure, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Carving like Caron

Posted on July 19, 2017 by

I often listen to audio books while carving in the shop, and I recently finished Irving Stone’s 1934 book Lust for Life, a biographical novel about the life and work of Vincent van Gogh.  Early on, as learning exercises, Vincent … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, figure, historical reference, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments