Birch Wood Zipper Platter
Description This is an extraordinary wooden Birch Wood Zipper Platter. During the finishing process the Birch platter split open which occasionally occurs as wood dries. I like to refer to this incident as a design opportunity. The wooden platter was to pretty to become firewood so a zipper solution saved the piece. A zipper fills the void to complete this whimsical piece. This Birch Wood Zipper Platter is a perfect home decor Display Piece. It is a great conversation piece
Carved Butterfly Bowl
This Carved Butterfly Bowl platter is turned on the Lathe. Once I am happy with the form and it is the proper thickness for carving I draw in the butterflies. Then I remove all the negative space between the butterflies with a high speed dental drill. The goal is to have the bowl held together just by the tips of the butterfly wings touching each other. The next step is the tedious process of filing down rough spots and sanding each butterfly to accept paint. Finally I han
Wooden Place Setting
Workshop in Philadelphia I was invited to teach a workshop at The Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia in the Fall of 2018. The purpose of the workshop is to introduce students to techniques to add color to their art. This Wooden Place Setting highlights several methods that I use to enhance my art. These three items show different methods to explore a variety of techniques. The students were given time to experiment on their own pieces. The beauty of the creative pro
Award for Genesis Platter
Award for Genesis Platter is a commission piece for family honoring their dad. A Cherry Tree was planted by the family and grew at the grave site. Eventually the tree became so large that it began to cause damage near the grave. The son spoke with the authorities at the cemetery into allowing him to secure large logs from the tree anticipating that family heirlooms could be made from the wood. The son phoned me and asked if I would make some items for his mother, sister an
Large Ambrosia Platter
Handmade Ambrosia Platter Large Ambrosia Platter is handmade on a wood lathe. This is an ambrosia maple flat platter with gorgeous grain and incredible markings. The markings are from insect damage by the Ambrosia Beetle as he and his buddies infest the tree. As they eat through the tree fibers they leave behind these streaks. See the dots in the markings. These are the holes where the beetle enters and leaves the wood. They create their own art, but the tree will event
First Aid Stitches For Platter
This Platter developed a boo-boo so I fixed it with leather stitches. Now this First Aid Stitches For Platter is an art piece. The story behind this piece is that I submitted it to a gallery. The director noticed that there was a hairline fracture. It did not go all the way through the wood, but the director said clients would resist purchasing it with the appearance of a crack. I took it home, drilled a few holes, added a few leather stitches and it has now found a happ
Grieving and Healing Platter
Grieving and Healing Platter is a commission for a family honoring the passing of their dad. A Cherry Tree grew at the dad’s grave site. The tree became very large and the cemetery decided the tree had to be removed. The son made a request to officials to allow him to have the logs from the tree. His desire was to make some meaningful family heirlooms from the wood. I got a phone call requesting that I make items for him, his mother, brother and sister. This will be a chall
Genesis Wood Art Platter
Commission Art Genesis Wood Art Platter is a commission piece for a family honoring their departed father. The theme of this piece is the Story of Life. The wood is cherry from a tree growing at the gravesite of the father. The cemetery notified the family that the tree had to be removed as it was damaging nearby gravesites. The son spoke with management to allow him to secure large logs from the tree for family heirlooms. Genesis Wood Platter I received a phone call ask
US Constitution Ring Holder
US Constitution Ring Holder is a wood turned square platter that is laser engraved with the opening statement of the most important document of the United States of America. There is a small round recess in the center that serves as a ring holder for your valuable jewelry on a desk or a nightstand. The process is to turn a square block on a wood lathe with sloping edges on the underside of the platter. I then laser etch the image of the document. This is a great centerpiec
Art Nouveau Ring Holder
Public Domain Artwork for Artists Art Nouveau Ring Holder is an engraving of a vintage Victorian print. Designs like these are available in the public domain in vintage books and on wall paper coverings for home decor. The design is laser cut onto a wood platter with a small cavity to hold jewelry on a nightstand. The process is to laser cut this decorative artwork onto a wood platter. I turn a square block on a lathe creating the sloping edges on the underside of the platt
Manzanita Wooden Platter
Manzanita Wooden Platter is 11 inch diameter by 1 1/2 inches thick. Wood doesn’t get much prettier than this. Manzanita wood is not easy to fabricate, but always delivers when complete. The organic nature of Manzanita pieces are second to none. Manzanita root burl is perhaps the most beautiful wood I work with. The Burl is very ugly in its raw form. I have a theory that the uglier the wood the more beautiful will be the interior grain resulting in a final piece with very in
River Runs Through Platter
Design Opportunity River Runs Through Platter is an incredible Maple Burl Platter with Lapis and epoxy to fill in a bark inclusion. The repair displays as the blue line in the center. This is what I call a design opportunity. It is when an unexpected defect appears to derail the direction of the project until a solution is found. River Runs Through Platter has tons of character from the earth tone colors of the hard wood and sap wood. There was also a bark line that runs
Winter Branches Platter
Winter Branches Platter is an experiment to be able to make a wood platter and a wood block that will be able to produce a wood cut print. Through out my college years, I am creating silk screen and wood cut prints. Now I see the possibility to create a utilitarian platter that also serves as the print block. Wood Cut Print To make a wood cut print the artist draws an image onto a flat piece of wood. Now I carve away the space between the lines. This leaves a recess in the
Shifting Sands Wood Platter
Description Shifting Sands Wood Platter is from an 800 pound maple burl that a fellow turner and I sourced on a llama farm of all places. When I began turning I would not go near a chain saw so my friend did most of the work that day. Now I am processing my own wood from storm damaged trees. This burl contains the most unique patterns and inclusions I have ever seen. The patterns look like traces of prehistoric animal skeletons scattered and laying in sand dunes. What is a B
Hurricane Sandy Ambrosia Platter
Hurricane Wood Hurricane Sandy Ambrosia Platter represents the destruction of this devastating storm in the region I live. It did cure my addition to pick up logs on the road as I now have a lifetime of wood from neighbors and friends. This platter is a gift to a friend who lost her majestic maple. The size is 15 inch diameter by 3 inches high. All of my wooden items are signed on the bottom and they are also food safe. This Hurricane Sandy Ambrosia Platter is from the Map
Winged Victory Platter
Description Winged Victory Platter is a piece of Maple crouch. The crouch is where branches radiate from the tree trunk. These unique patterns sometimes appear as feather patterns. The dark hardwood area reminds me of the headless Winged Victory statue in the Louvre though others may see the head of a deer. The size of this platter is 15 x 15 x 2.5 inches. The style of this platter is Natural Edge. Notice that both sides maintain the bark edge. Most often a bowl is made
Hurricane Sandy Platter
Description Hurricane Sandy Platter is an unusual piece of wood is from a 30 year old weeping cherry. Notice the horizontal line dividing the center of the piece like a bathing suit waist line. This is where a graft unites the tree trunk and a cutting from another tree which creates the upside down branches. It is interesting how seamless the wood grows together just leaving a noticeable change in grain direction. The size is 18 x 15 x 2.5 inches. Tree Grafting Hurricane Sand
Topless Platter
Description This Topless Platter is a Cherry platter wood from Hurricane Sandy damage. Notice the horizontal line dividing the center of the piece like a bathing suit line. Use your imagination for above the waist. This is where the tree truck is graft with a section from another tree creating the Weeping Cherry falling branches. It is fascinating how seamless the wood grows together just leaving a noticeable change in grain direction. The size is 14 x 13 x 2.5 inches. Tree
Picasso Inspired Platter
This Picasso Inspired Platter is a piece from an early Picasso drawing. I draw the pattern onto the wooden platter. Then I carve deep grooves which I fill with a mixture of turquoise powder and glue. The size is 6.5 inch diameter by 3/4 inches high. Inspiration A lot of my inspiration comes from the Master Artists. There is not a lot of originality in my Picasso Inspired Platter as I simply transferred his idea to my platter. This piece is an exercise using a new materia
Square Platter with Trim
Square Platter with Trim is an early experiment in combining contrasting woods in a turning piece. Starting with a square block of Cocobolo I laminate blond wood strips around the outside edges. Once this assembly is complete I then shape the bowl form on a wood lathe. Wood Toxins There were two important lessons that I learned from making this Square Platter with Trim. The first is that there are wood species that are toxic to humans, animals and plants. If you ever come