AATURNING.COM

Description It has been so hot and sunny this summer that even this Freckles Elm Bowl wood has freckles. This is an extraordinary example of Elm Burl with the dark hard wood and white sap wood with brown dots. This is my first piece of Elm burl and it is surprising how different it is from maple and oak burl. The size is 4 by 4 inches. Hollow Form Style This style bowl is a Hollow Form. It is a special technique of wood turning where the Maker opens a small hole. With s

Description Madrone Maroon Bowl is a wood that exhibits tremendous movement as it dries. Fresh cut wood is a delight to work with if you are comfortable with it taking on a new shape after turning. You can see the distortion which happens a few days after turning a perfect shape on the lathe. The size is a 4 inch diameter by 3 inches tall. Here is a link to another hollow form piece Faux Antique Vessel Madrone wood changes shape as it dries making it a perfect material for p

Description We had a rare earthquake on the East Coast in August 2011 and became the inspiration for Earthquake Bowl.  The spalting pattern in this Maple wood makes me think of the movement of the plates which cause these powerful events. The small chip in the rim is an insect hole representing the damage from the aftershocks. The size is 6 inches in diameter by 2.5 Inches tall. Spalting Wood Spalting is the process where wood begins to decay. When a tree is on the ground it

The Wrong Side of the Tracks. Segregation Bowl features a piece of Maple with a bark inclusion running through the center. It appears to have some value to explore.  Once the shape was complete it became clear to me that it had potential and I saw a story in it about “The Wrong Side of the Tracks.”  Note that one side has circles and the opposite contains squares.  For me, it represents the ethnic divisions that people face every day.  The size is 10 inch diameter by 2 Inches

Description Artifact Wood Bowl features a decorative rim and pyrography symbols with an antique finish. The finish is copper paint with an oxidizing agent to provide a patina. The size is approximately 9 inch diameter by 4 inches high.  My signature is on the bottom. Process A favorite decorative theme is to change the appearance of wood to look like metal. It is a goal that I often pursue to make a piece of wood no longer identifiable as wood. The viewer will pick it up beli

Description My objective with Sunken Treasure Bowl is to make a Native American style vessel with a band around the side.  It was a promising piece of Manzanita burl wood and when I began the process it turned out to be an ugly block of wood with blotchy coloring. I went on vacation and when I returned the piece was totally deformed and cracked. Lets step back a few centuries to the Bronze Age. With some copper paint and oxidizer I can achieve an antique effect. I enjoy creat

Walnut Serving Bowl is a simple wood bowl with a decorative rim exhibiting great grain. It is finished with what other than Walnut oil. This is a gIft for a great employee and friend. The size is 12 inch diameter by 3 Inches tall. The low profile is elegant and a great home decor centerpiece. It is no surprise that Walnut is so much demand. The colors are rich and the wood fabricates beautifully. Handmade on a wood lathe this bowl features beautiful grain and age rings ce

Description Maple Bowl with rim features beautiful and unique grain patterns.  The size is 8 inch diameter by 2 inches high.  Every once in a while I get an incredible piece of wood like this.  My theory is that the uglier the raw material appears it is hiding a beautiful interior.  Such is the case with the log from which this wood bowl came. Wood Grain and Patterns The patterns in a wood log are actually predictable as a Maker gains experience processing wood for projects.

Description I spent three days studying with Master Turner, David Ellsworth famous for creating hollow form turning.  The method requires maintaining a small opening removing most of the internal wood.  This creates a very lightweight form similar to a gourd.  The size of Sunrise Hollow Form is 7 inches in diameter by 5 inches tall.  The opening is a 7/8 inch diameter hole and a 1/8 wall thickness.  The wood is Beech with a Tung oil finish.  If you like Sunrise Hollow Form he

Description Cat’s Eye Spirit Vessel is an Ambrosia Maple hollow form style spirit bowl.  Indigenous people believe that when a person passes they will come back to visit those they love.  The Spirit Bowl is a safe place where they can rest. This wood has great character from the stains of the Ambrosia Beetle creating an image of a cat’s eye. The size is 5 inches in diameter by 2.5 inches high. It is very comforting to hold and some believe spirits find a home in these forms. 

Description Maple Hollow Form Bowl is a style of woodturning that references a bowl with a small opening at the top.  It takes skill and practice to remove most of the interior wood because you cannot see what is happening.  My wife thinks they are useless, but many turners enjoy making them.  The size is 9.5 inch diameter by 6 inches high.  Here is a link to another hollow form piece Dragonfly Hollow Form Vase David Ellsworth invented the Hollow Form Style for woodturning.  

Silent Auction Donation Fragile X Foundation Bowl is a bowl I donated the Mind Institute and Fragile X Foundation silent auction.  Fragile X is a genetic disorder that is the cause of inherited mental impairment.  The research that this group does is also on the cutting edge of research for treating Autism.  The bowl is 10 by 5 and the X’s feature pyrography which is branding with a red hot wire. What is Fragile X Syndrome? Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common genetic

Winning ambrosia bowl was made during my first year of turning and judged by David Ellsworth and Giles Gilson. Both legends in the wood turning arena. The award is second place at Totally Turning in Saratoga, NY in 2010 in the category for New Turners.  The size is 10 x 6 inches. I had a chance to spend a few hours with Giles discussing the craft and how I  see myself fitting in to this craft. This Ambrosia Bowl is of the Maple Species. It is turned on a wood lathe. The Ambro

Matisse Inspiration So You Think You Can Dance Bowl is inspired by the work of Henri Matisse. When he became ill and could no longer paint he cut paper images of flowers, dancers and birds.  This bowl honors that strength and commitment to creating.  The size is 9.5 inches diameter by 3.5 high. So You Think You Can Dance Bowl is created from using images often repeated in his painting and collages.  Matisse is one of my favorite artists.  Here is a link to the dance painting

Description Bowl On Fire. This is the natural color of Manzanita Root Burl from the West Coast.  Full of rocks and dirt, it is a brutal battle to make such a piece, but well worth it in the end.  The reward is a spectacular art object.  The size of this piece is 7 by 7 inches. Manzanita root burl is one of the most beautiful woods I work with. I love the organic nature of the pieces that are produced. It is the most difficult wood I fabricate because it is full of rocks,sand,

Description Faux Pottery Bowl is Manzanita wood that captures the organic feel of Native American clay pottery.  The size is 8 diameter by 4 inches deep with a walnut oil finish.  The wood color is natural as are the voids and crevices that form in the root ball. Process These burl root balls contain rocks and sand which makes the processing a difficult and time consuming task.  It is a battle to make the form and to keep the tools sharp.  Each piece has special challenges an

Antique Lid Sugar Bowl.  I purchased 40 antique hand painted European and Asian vase and bowl lids made in the 1700 and 1800′s that were missing their bases.  This lid is Asian.  The overall size is 6 inch diameter by 4 high. The wood is Oak with a green tint dye and a wipe on poly finish. I hope you enjoy this collaboration with artists from the past. It was a two year journey developing a wood base for each lid.  There are an infinite amount of design decisions and choices

Description Springtime Bowl is part of a series of 40 antique European and Asian bowl lids produced in the 1700 and 1800’s.   They were missing their bases.  This lid is European.  The overall size is 3 inch diameter by 2 high. Springtime Bowl is Walnut that is dyed green, carved with a pyrography technique for the branches and dry brush painted with acrylics.  I was looking to achieve the brilliant blooms of white dogwoods and cherry blossoms. The process to design a wood ba

Description Summertime Bowl is part of a series of 40 antique hand painted European and Asian vase and bowl lids that were missing their bases. This lid has been identified as Chinese Export from the 18th Century. The overall size is 4.75 inch diameter by 5 high. The wood is Ash which I dyed red. I then followed the growth rings with a pyrography tip to form the branches and then painted the leaves and flowers with acrylics. The process to design a wood base it is interest

Antique Shop Surprise In an antique gallery there are forty Asia and European vase and bowl lids from 1700 and 1800’s. They are missing their bases.  It was quite an unusual display of incomplete products.  I think they were there to get attention as there were no prices. This display leads to my first Antique Collaboration which took two years to complete. Curious why they are on display, the dealer explains many traders have drawers filled with lids hoping to find matching