Category Archives: patterns

The Return of the Swallows

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Dave Fisher

This little guy was in the pear tree yesterday morning.  I hadn’t made any in awhile, which is a shame because they are a lot of fun to make.  I based the design on the swallow and their graceful curves … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, patterns, spoons, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Learning from Fred Astaire

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Dave Fisher

Seeing this ale bowl basking in the sun, my wife asked my daughter what she thought of the new dragon bowl.  Emma replied, “What dragon bowl?”  Wonderful. What Emma noticed were the flowing lines and the form, and only after … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, cherry, patterns, proportions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Your Daily Bowl

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I’m a cereal lover and, although I’ve had to switch from Boo-Berry to Shredded Wheat over the years, I still eat cereal every day — from a wooden bowl.  Cereal or not, it makes for quiet eating, and the wood … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, holding, layout, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Hold It!

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I snapped this photo while carving on this cherry bowl recently.  I’ve used holdfasts for a long while now, but I still marvel at their nimbleness and versatility.  With a scrap of rubber belting under the bottom and a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, holding, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Winter Window

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I like working in front of this window.  The directional light creates shadows that honestly reveal form and surface.  I have a small high bench there, too high for heavy work, but perfect for finer bits like cleaning up the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, events, holding, nature, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Workhorses

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I’ve carved several of these horse-head ale bowls now, and each one seems to end up with it’s own personality.  Much of that, thankfully, happens in spite of me.  Each log is different, imparting it’s character on the finished piece.  … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, cherry, historical reference, patterns, Uncategorized, video | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Black Walnut Bowl

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Dave Fisher

While not as big as Der Mollenhauer’s bowl, this large bowl will still hold a lot of fruit or bread.  It’s 20 3/4″ long, 12 1/4″ wide, and 4 1/4″ high and carved from a lovely black walnut log. I … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Serving Board

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Dave Fisher

Look at all of that flat surface, 8 x 20 inches of it!  Not a hollow in sight.  So when I made this walnut serving board recently, I just had to sculpt the bottom. If you’re short on green wood, … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, patterns, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Roof Top Bowl

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Dave Fisher

Most of us are familiar with the two usual orientations for bowl carving: working “upside down” into the bark side of the bowl (an innovation that Bengt Lidström was known for), and working into the flat split surface of the half log. … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, layout, patterns, proportions, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Roving, Designing and Sketching

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Dave Fisher

We carvers are fortunate to have the opportunity to both conceive a design and execute it with nothing more than a chunk of wood and a few sharp tools, and it’s a thrill  when the idea becomes a reality before … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, books, bowls, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments