Category Archives: finding wood

Carving Catalpa

Posted on September 6, 2020 by

When a friend of mine sent me this big chunk of fresh catalpa wood, some memories came to mind. When I was a kid we had a big catalpa tree in the yard and I had fun playing with the … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, layout, tools, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

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

Love and Coffee

Posted on August 11, 2020 by

I’ve missed out on a love affair with coffee.  Seems like just about everyone else has had one and most of them last a lifetime.  Long before iced-coffees became chic, my grandfather loved cold black coffee.  He kept it in … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, finding wood, layout, Lettering, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Spoon Stages

Posted on June 26, 2020 by

I’ve been finishing up several spoons that have been sitting around, partially carved, for months.  For me, spoon carving breaks down into these stages:  Finding and collecting the crook  Splitting  Axe and adze work  Green knife work  Dry knife work … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, spoons, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Daily Bowl Article

Posted on May 31, 2020 by

There’s a new issue of Fine Woodworking Magazine just out (August 2020, Issue #283) with a slew of good articles.  I’ve also got an article in there on carving an eating bowl like the one above.  With just a few … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Making the Best of It

Posted on March 29, 2020 by

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

Silver Maple Bowl

Posted on March 2, 2020 by

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

Liking Lichens

Posted on January 27, 2020 by

What is produced by a free stroke charms us, like the forms of lichens and leaves. There is a certain perfection in accidents which we never consciously attain. — Henry David Thoreau, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, nature, quotes and excerpts, spoons, trees, Uncategorized, video | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Mulberry Rooster Bowl

Posted on September 15, 2019 by

In summer, the birds and I eat the mulberries from my neighbor’s tree.  We have a deal; the birds get the high ones and I get the low ones.  The other way around proved to be far too dangerous. A … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, tools, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Branches, Barn’s Book, and Bowls

Posted on August 1, 2019 by

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