Category Archives: trees

Bird Bowl from Straight Grain

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Most of the bird bowls I make come from crooks, with the form following the flow of the fibers. In designing and making this bowl, I tried to achieve similar lines and a sense of movement within the constraints of … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, figure, finding wood, layout, patterns, quotes and excerpts, sketch, tools, trees, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Carving American Chestnut

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Dave Fisher

The solstice may still be a couple weeks away, but the first day of summer for me was yesterday. I celebrated by digging in to a special log. American chestnut. Big, green, American chestnut. I carved some chestnut a few … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, historical reference, layout, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 23 Comments

Spring Birds

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Suddenly the sun is there on the horizon and the wait is over. Every bird in every tree begins to sing. The earlier chorus was only a preliminary. This is the main event. The birds sing as though it were … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, nature, publications, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Follow the Bent

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Dave Fisher

I was not anchored to a house or farm, but could follow the bent of my genius, which is a very crooked one, every moment. Henry David Thoreau, Walden I can’t seem to locate my genius, but I have been … Continue reading →

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

Carving Catalpa

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Dave Fisher

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 Dave Fisher

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 , , , | 16 Comments

Late June

Posted on June 27, 2020 by Dave Fisher

“If man is ever going to admit that he belongs to the earth, not the other way round, it probably will be in late June. Then it is that life surpasses man’s affairs with incredible urgency and outreaches him in … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Making the Best of It

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Dave Fisher

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

Liking Lichens

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Dave Fisher

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

Ambrosia Maple Bowl

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Dave Fisher

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