Category Archives: trees

True Hope is Swift

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Dave Fisher

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings. Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.           — William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act V, Scene ii I knew I had to carve that first line … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, finding wood, green woodworking, Lettering, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 24 Comments

Bent Bowl

Posted on November 18, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I’m the guy that orders vanilla ice cream at Baskin Robbins, so you can imagine how wild I felt carving this asymmetrical bowl.  The silver maple log flared out wider at one end and also had a slight twist.  Going with … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, layout, Lettering, sketch, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

A Walk Among the Leaves

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I woke early this morning to the light rumble of distant thunder and the tap of raindrops on the window sill.  As I ate my oatmeal, the rain softened and the woods beckoned.  Few moments are as peaceful as a … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, spoons, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

It Took a Crook

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Dave Fisher

An oak crook, more specifically, was the origin of this rooster-inspired bowl that I’ve just finished.  The flow of the grain is evident in the top photo in the line between the light sapwood and the darker heartwood.  I first … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, finding wood, green woodworking, paint, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Savor

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I thought long and hard about what to carve on the handle of this boxelder (acer negundo) ladle.  Crooks with a bend like this one don’t come along every day.  I decided that “savor” was a good word for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, paint, spoons, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Boxwood Blunder

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Dave Fisher

This is the closest I’ve come to working in clay.  Over the winter, I was asked to design and carve a pottery chop, a.k.a. pottery stamp, featuring the ABS initials of the ceramic artist.  I had even been supplied with … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, Lettering, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Making Things from Trees

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Dave Fisher

  Not long ago, this book arrived in the mail, an unexpected and thoughtful gift from a friend.  In it, Robert Penn writes of his experience of felling one ash tree in Herefordshire and having as many things made from … Continue reading →

Posted in books, finding wood, green woodworking, nature, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Ongoing Journey of Drew and Louise Langsner

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Dave Fisher

There was a time when I didn’t know an adze from a hoe in the ground, then I found Drew Langsner.  Here was a guy who could make anything from a tree, and explain the process in writing so that even … Continue reading →

Posted in books, green woodworking, historical reference, quotes and excerpts, tools, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

New Evening Trees Shrink Pots

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Dave Fisher

Like most things I make, work on shrink pots occurs in two stages — wet and dry.  After the pot has dried, I go over all of the surfaces again to leave a burnished and clean surface.  I’ve finished a … Continue reading →

Posted in shrink box, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Cold November Rain

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Dave Fisher

As I happily remain in the shop this morning, in my head I hear Axl Rose’s refrain. I’m carving flutes along the outer surface of this little “wine bowl.” This is quiet, contemplative work that seems to fit a rainy morning. … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, ale bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, finding wood, green woodworking, holding, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 8 Comments