Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Beginnings of a Rooftop Hen

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Dave Fisher

There’s a hen bowl in that big chunk of butternut. I’ve made some of these bowls (call them hens, roosters, fowl…) using various log orientations, but the most common have been what I call rooftop bowls. The drawing below accompanied … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, layout, patterns, proportions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Drew Langsner’s Latest Adventure

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Drew Langsner is an adventurer. A few years after earning his M.A. in painting and sculpture, he and his wife, Louise, embarked on an exploration of Asia Minor, the Balkans, and much of central and northern Europe. Don’t picture them … Continue reading →

Posted in events, Persons, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Merging Cuts in the Hollow

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Earlier this month, I wrote a post about two walnut bowls, and there was a question in the comments about dealing with the tricky area where the grain direction merges across the middle of the hollow. I wanted to expand … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, sharpening, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

2022 Slöjd Fellowships

Posted on August 23, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Back in 2019, I ventured to England (Spoonfest) and Sweden (Täljfest) and had an amazing experience of learning, teaching, and sharing. I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people, including Owen Thomas and Anja Sundberg. I was very … Continue reading →

Posted in events, Persons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Simple Drawing Bow

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Dave Fisher

When I lay out the “rectoval” bowls like the walnut bowls featured in my most recent post, I usually simply sketch in the long side curves by hand. On those two bowls, I experimented with a technique using an improvised … Continue reading →

Posted in layout, proportions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Arch Top and Flat Top

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Dave Fisher

These two walnut bowls are very much alike in all aspects of their design except for the shape of the upper surface. I split both blanks from the same log. After hewing and planing both bottom surfaces flat, I gave … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, holding, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Lettering Inspiration From Long Ago

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I’ve been designing some new lettering projects, for myself to carve, but also with the idea of offering some lettering patterns for sale. As I sat drawing, my mind went back to a trip to Cleveland last month and the … Continue reading →

Posted in historical reference, Lettering, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Long Handled Adze

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Although I rarely use it, I do have a hollowing adze meant to be swung with two hands. For large bowls, it can help to hog out material a little faster. It was looking lonely, so I pulled it off … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, green woodworking, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Walnut Bowls and Hosta Flowers

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Earlier this week, I was preparing to take some photos in the shop of two recently-finished walnut bowls, but the light filtering into the shop wasn’t really bringing out the color variations in the wood. I looked into the back … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, nature, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Koa Bowl

Posted on July 2, 2022 by Dave Fisher

The wood for most of what I make comes from trees that grow within a few miles of my house, which is more than enough to make me happy. I’m fortunate to live in an area with so many diverse … Continue reading →

Posted in axe, bowls, carving, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged | 12 Comments