Category Archives: patterns

Amy Lowell’s Green Bowl

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Dave Fisher

Ever since encountering Amy Lowell‘s Imagist poem The Green Bowl, published in her first poetry collection in 1912, I had wondered about it. Was it inspired by an actual bowl? If so, does it still exist? Who was Roger, the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, historical reference, nature, paint, patterns, Persons, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Bowl from a Plank Part 3: Handle Pattern

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Dave Fisher

I had to put this bowl aside eight months ago, unfinished. I finally returned to it last week when I brushed off the dust and focused on the handles. This bowl was carved from a dry walnut plank. I documented … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, historical reference, patterns, Persons, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

New Bowl Horse Plans and Tutorial

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Dave Fisher

Over twenty years ago, I designed and built my first bowl horse and it has been an important carving partner for me ever since. I use it for every bowl, but also for shrink pots, spoon blanks, and all sorts … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, events, holding, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Bowl from a Plank

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Sourcing, storing, and/or processing green logs can be a challenge for some people based on location and other circumstances. There are ways around it. I’ve written a few posts that feature bowls carved from dry wood, or other creatively-sourced blanks. … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, layout, patterns, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

The Beginnings of a Rooftop Hen

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Dave Fisher

There’s a hen bowl in that big chunk of butternut. I’ve made some of these bowls (call them hens, roosters, fowl…) using various log orientations, but the most common have been what I call rooftop bowls. The drawing below accompanied … Continue reading →

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

Chip Layout

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I was finishing up a small walnut bowl and decided to define the narrow side-panel with a graduated row of chip cuts. I have a slide show and description of the cutting of these on a similar bowl in this … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, layout, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Bowl from Dry Walnut

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Dave Fisher

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 , , , | 21 Comments

New Walnut Bowl

Posted on January 13, 2022 by Dave Fisher

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

Winter Whittled Bird

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Dave Fisher

On a “cold, cold, wet day” this past weekend, I sat warm and dry in the shop by the window and whittled a little bird from a pine branch. Winter birds bring a special joy. It’s magical to be in … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, carving, finding wood, nature, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

That Line on the Outside of the Bowl

Posted on September 26, 2021 by Dave Fisher

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 , | 35 Comments