About the Process: Each bowl I create is from a tree that either fell or was being taken down for safety reasons. After planning the cuts based on grain structure, I chainsaw the tree into manageable bowl blanks, avoiding defects and checks, and seal them with wax to avoid cracks. After band-sawing the blank into a circular shape and while the wood is still wet, I turn each blank into a thick, roughed-out bowl, and then seal it with wax again. If the piece is large enough, I core a few bowls out of a large blank. Each bowl is labeled and logged, and I let the roughed-out bowl dry for at least 6 months. When the wood is dry, I mount it back on the lathe for a final (thin) turning. After adding details and sanding, I finish each bowl with natural, food-safe linseed or tung oil and beeswax. Each bowl, no matter what size, takes many hours to create. It is a long and painstaking process, but worth every hour, and is super fun! The result is what I consider functional art.
