Category Archives: sketch

Winter Branches

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Dave Fisher

On overcast winter days, I appreciate the quiet simplicity of the landscape. Soon enough, vibrant color will return and leaves will burst forth from every twig. For now, the underlying structure is revealed, with a beauty of its own. When … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged | 12 Comments

Take a Whiff

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Dave Fisher

Yesterday, I was carving the flutes in a walnut bowl and I started thinking about what a big role smell plays among the pleasures of working with wood.  As I savored the rich aroma of the walnut, I thought of … Continue reading →

Posted in green woodworking, sketch, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

Little Hens

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Dave Fisher

The walnut rooftop chickens I roughed out back in the spring are waiting for me.  Meanwhile, a friend took down a cherry tree in his yard and I used a piece to make a pair of mini versions.  It gave … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, green woodworking, holding, layout, patterns, sketch, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Täljfest 2019

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Dave Fisher

In my lectures at both Spoonfest and Täljfest, I referred to an excerpt from Mary Oliver’s poem Sometimes: Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. Astonishment comes easy at Sätergläntan, the traditional crafts school in … Continue reading →

Posted in classes, events, green woodworking, historical reference, paint, shrink box, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

The Nimble Fishtail

Posted on November 24, 2018 by Dave Fisher

Having just finished carving “necklaces” on a couple bowls, I thought I’d explain a bit more about the tool I use for the carving of the large triangular recesses that make up the design.  In the FWW  article and video, … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, patterns, sketch, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged | 9 Comments

Roughing Spoons from Straight Blanks

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Dave Fisher

Spoons are cranky.  Take a close look at just about any spoon, whatever the material, and you’ll find that the rim of the bowl of the spoon is not in the same plane as the handle.  The angle between them … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, layout, sketch, spoons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Greenwoodworking in White Oak

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Dave Fisher

“One word, no spaces,” specified Jennie Alexander when she requested this sign.  Not only was I not going to argue with the one who coined the term, I was thrilled for the opportunity to make something so meaningful for someone … Continue reading →

Posted in books, green woodworking, layout, sketch, teaching, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Raise Your Handles

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Dave Fisher

The handles on this just-finished walnut bowl really grab me.  They rise up from the edge of the hollow and extend broadly in a sweeping arc. Here’s a sketch to explain how I create a waist in the arched blank to … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, layout, sketch, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged | 5 Comments

Learning at FWW Live

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Dave Fisher

It’s classic advice to surround yourself with interesting, inspiring, uplifting people.  Sometimes you can create that environment, and sometimes you just get lucky and find yourself in such a situation like I did last weekend.  I had been invited to … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, classes, events, sketch, spoons, teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

Bookplates: Ex Libris

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Dave Fisher

Digital media has it’s place, but there’s just something about a book.  Much of that something is a book’s appeal to our senses: the smell of a book, the heft of a book, the feel of the paper against the … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Lettering, sketch, Uncategorized, woodblock prints | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments