Tag Archives: walnut

“Turning” Without a Lathe

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Months ago, I had a certain passage of poetry tumbling around in my head, and I envisioned it on a bowl.  But the bowl had to be round, and here I sat without a lathe — sort of. Actually, I do have a … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, axe, bowls, holding, layout, Lettering, tools, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

New Walnut Bowl

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Last week, I spent some time along the Niagara River.  I saw the Falls again (I live only three hours away), and they are still thrilling.  But what I noticed more than ever before were the beautiful trees on my walks … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, patterns, sketch, trees, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

We Shall Not Cease From Exploration

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Dave Fisher

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. — T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding” As one might guess from the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, Lettering, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

New Walnut Bowl

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Dave Fisher

I have finished this fluted walnut bowl. While the flutes are nice, I tried to make the other, more hidden, side of the bowl interesting as well.  I hope it is like a pleasant surprise when somebody picks it up. As can be … Continue reading →

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

Warmer Weather Walnut

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Back in the bone chilling days of January, my son and I warmed up a bit by collecting some walnut logs from a fallen tree at a friend’s house (and I posted about it here).  Now, the snow is gone, the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, layout, patterns, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Oh, It’s Drying Time Again…

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Hewing a bowl with an axe and an adze certainly qualifies for what David Pye called “the workmanship of risk.”  The risk doesn’t end when the axe is laid down.  Anyone who is going to carve many bowls is sure to have some … Continue reading →

Posted in cartoons, carving, drying, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Measuring Beauty?

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Dave Fisher

 The question of measuring beauty — that is objective assessment beyond “Very nice,” “Exquisite,” “This appeals to me” — has troubled scholars and other laymen at least from the time of the Greeks.  And, beginning with the Greek philosophers, there … Continue reading →

Posted in layout, proportions, Uncategorized, video, walnut | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Hollowing with an Adze

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Following up on my last post about adze design, I wanted to share a series of photos that show the procedure for my adze work.  At the stage of the first photo (above), I’ve hewn and hand planed the upper and … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, bowls, holding, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

What’s a saz?

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Dave Fisher

That was my first thought when I was asked recently to make one; well, the bowl part of one.  Turns out that a saz is a long necked Turkish lute (I found the photo of the one above — I had … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, carving, tools, Uncategorized, video, walnut | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Compass Goose

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Dave Fisher

  I recently completed this commission for a goose-inspired bowl in walnut.  In some ways it may seem to be quite a departure from a “regular” bowl form, but the process is essentially the same.  As is typical, I work … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments