Category Archives: trees

Summer’s Calling

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Dave Fisher

We just had our first full week of summer-like weather, and it had me outside working and preparing some material for some of the projects I’m looking forward to. Some of them are in that willow basket waiting for the … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, layout, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Phil’s Julfågel

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Last Christmas, Phil Teeter sent me some cheer in the form of these delightful carvings. Phil explained that they are Julfågel (Swedish for Christmas Bird), “very rare and shy — they appear at Christmas and bring good fortune.” Phil has … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, green woodworking, paint, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Otis Tomas and The Fiddletree

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Maybe art is not a quest to conquer the secrets of perfection, but rather it is the revelation of that which is personal and unique, and which defies the very concept of perfection. This old tree has its own story … Continue reading →

Posted in books, finding wood, publications, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Into the Woods Exhibition

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Dave Fisher

The lag since my last post along with the reports of Ida rains drenching Pennsylvania led some folks to kindly email me to see if all was well. The upper edge of Ida’s swath fell short of us here in … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, events, finding wood, Lettering, nature, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Odd Birds (and Other Winged Things)

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Dave Fisher

At first glance, this rhododendron bird bowl seems typical of other bird bowls I’ve carved, but this one was an experiment in working with crotch wood. As usual, I learned from it. There’s the huge rhododendron Y above. The area … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, nature, trees, Uncategorized | 14 Comments

Carving American Chestnut 4: Two Finished Bowls

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Here are the two bowls I made from the American Chestnut I started with in a post in June. The one on the left is the one I highlighted through the series of posts, so I’ll start with a few … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, patterns, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Make a Book Box

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Dave Fisher

A few years ago, I made a shrink pot for my daughter in the the form of a book (photo below). I think I had first seen an example made by Jögge Sundqvist. It is simply a shrink pot with … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Lettering, quotes and excerpts, shrink box, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 28 Comments

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