Category Archives: Uncategorized

Täljfest 2019

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Posted in classes, events, green woodworking, historical reference, paint, shrink box, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Spoonfest 2019

I’m back from my first ever overseas adventure, and it was a thrilling and enriching one.  The English countryside, London, Stockholm, and the Swedish countryside.  Almost a week after my return, my head is still spinning with all I saw … Continue reading →

Posted in classes, events, green woodworking, historical reference, teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 19 Comments

Branches, Barn’s Book, and Bowls

The gnarled rhododendron branches you see above are what I call neighborwood.  On my walks around my neighborhood I often find piles of pruned branches or, in this case, the remnants of a large rhododendron that had been cut down.  … Continue reading →

Posted in books, bowls, finding wood, Uncategorized | Tagged | 5 Comments

Axe Sheath of Wood

At last month’s Plymouth CRAFT Spoon Day, I saw Oliver Pratt’s cool wooden axe sheath.  It worked by pinning a wedge in place that secured the sheath.  Oliver had seen the concept somewhere and had created his sheath by chopping … Continue reading →

Posted in axe, green woodworking, layout, Lettering, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Bright Shrink Pot

Around me the trees stir in their leaves and call out, “Stay awhile.” The light flows from their branches. —Mary Oliver, from the poem “When I am Among the Trees” That poetry excerpt may look familiar.  I shared it last … Continue reading →

Posted in paint, patterns, quotes and excerpts, sharpening, shrink box, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Playing With Cool Sticks

Green woodworking can imply more than just the general notion of working wood that is still relatively fresh with a high moisture content.  Among other things, the term connotes the idea of working with nature, sensitively considering the unique attributes … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, figure, finding wood, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Questions from Buzzards Bay

Who was that masked man? That’s just one of the questions I’ve been pondering since my return from a week in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts.  As I looked through some photos from two bowl carving classes and the “Spoon Day” event … Continue reading →

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Bitty Bowl

That’s either a mutant lemon or a really small bowl.  As you probably guessed, it’s a small bowl — less than nine inches long (8 7/8″ x 3 3/4″ x 2 1/4″ high).  It came from this 5″ diameter branch … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

The Gladness of the River

It avails not, neither time or place—distance avails not, I am with you, you men and women of a generation, or ever so many generations hence, I project myself, also I return—I am with you, and know how it is. … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Welcome Sign

I’ve never come across a redwood tree in my neck of the woods, but now I’ve carved the wood for the first time.  I’ve had this board (18″ x 9 1/2″ x 1″) kicking around since it was given to … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, trees, Uncategorized | 10 Comments