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What is a Hollow Form? Dragonfly Vase a Hollow Form Style art piece. Hollow Form is a style of woodturning where the opening at the top is smaller than the diameter of the piece. The concept was developed by David Ellsworth in the early 1970’s. David is a student of ceramics and took an interest in woodturning. In ceramics it is relatively easy to form a small hole at the top of a piece. The artist can manipulate the clay upwards and close the opening. David sought a meth

Master Woodturner, David Ellsworth invented the Ellsworth Style Hollow Form for woodturning. Previously it was a form that glass blowers and ceramists practiced. David, a student of ceramics thought it would be possible to make this shape with wood. The challenge is that woodturning is a process that removes material. Ceramics and glass adds material and can be manipulated by moving the material around. With a block of wood the turner cannot make the block larger or mak

Description Inspiration for this Black and White Oak Vase is a Black Tie Event. The lines are simple and elegant. The black satin finish features a white liming wax to highlight the wood grain as silver thread will peek through a black wool suit. Black and White Oak Vase has tons of character and the elegance of a well dressed night in the city. Imagine a formal event with a dark charcoal suit with a hint of silver threads running through the fabric. It is not often that a

Hollow Form Style Dragonfly Hollow Form Vase is a wood turning style. It is where the opening is significantly smaller than the diameter of the vase. The process to make a hollow form takes a lot of practice in order to develop the skills to make this shape. The artist is removing wood from the inside of the piece with little or no visual assistance. Special hook shape tools assist in peeling away layers of wood. This requires constant measuring to maintain a uniform wal

My Favorite Wood Manzanita root burl is one of the most beautiful woods I work with. I love the organic nature of this material. It is the most difficult wood I fabricate as it contains rocks, sand, dirt, voids and sometimes bugs which quickly dulls cutting tools. It is a battle to tame a Manzanita Bowl, but the final results are well worth it. Wood doesn’t get much prettier than this. Each piece is a struggle and I swear I will not work with this wood again. But, when c

Ambrosia Hollow Form Bowl is a Woodturning Style. It requires skill and experience to remove most of the interior wood through a small opening. Master Woodturner, David Ellsworth invented the Ellsworth Style Hollow Form for woodturning.  Previously it was a form that glass blowers and ceramists practiced. David, a student of ceramics thought it would be possible to make this shape with wood. The challenge is that woodturning is a process that removes material. Ceramics and gl

Faux Antique Vessel is an example of a piece where a wood object looks like metal.  I take great pride in being able to do this.   It is a theme that I often pursue.  The viewer will pick it up believing it is metal.  Madrone wood changes shape as it dries after turning making it a perfect material for producing organic shapes.   If you hold this piece in your hand you would be certain it is metal.  The process is to turn the wood shape, paint it with copper and then oxidize

A New Skill Set Wood Flower Hollow Form is Maple Burl that features turning, carving and staining.  The first step is to turn the form. The style is a Hollow Form which is basically a piece with an opening that is smaller than the diameter.  To make a piece like Wood Flower Hollow Form a Maker must develop the skill to pull this off.  It does take practice and patience.  Special hook shape tools enter the hole and begin to peel away layers of the interior wood.  The tricky pa

Coral From the Beach is Madrone wood featuring turning, carving and bleaching.  After turning the shape on the lathe I spend several days at the workbench to complete an item like this.  The final piece looks like coral that came from the ocean. Madrone Wood I want to say a few words about Madrone wood.  It comes from the West Coast and it is very difficult to get in the east.  I would love to get more of it.  As the wood dries it deforms  mysteriously taking on a new shape. 

Alchemy in Wood Wood Metal Alchemy Vessel is a theme that I often pursue to make a piece of wood no longer identifiable as wood.  The viewer will pick it up thinking the pieces is metal.  Madrone is a wood that will change shape as it dries after turning.  This is a perfect material to produce organic shapes.  I use copper paint and oxidizer for the antique effect.  The size is 3.5 inch diameter by 2.5 tall. Hollow Form Turning Wood Metal Alchemy Vessel is a Hollow Form style

Raspberry Glaze Wood Donut is a Hollow Form style of woodturning. It requires skill and experience to remove the interior wood through a small opening. The maker does this with hook shape tools. Unable to see into the opening he relies on calipers and sound to remove the interior wood and not break through the sidewall. Raspberry Glaze Wood Donut is maple burl with a red stain over black with a lacquer finish. You can see where the insects took their share of bites. The

Cyclopes Wood Bowl is a Curly Maple hollow form that reminds me of a cat’s eye due to the grain patterns in the wood.. The size is 4 inches in diameter by 4 inches high. The bowl is in the Hollow Form style of wood turning.  It requires practice and skill to remove the interior wood through the small opening.  Since the maker is unable to see into the opening he relies on constant measuring with calipers and the cutting sound to remove the interior wood while maintaining an e

Wooden Maple Donut Hollow Form Style Bowl with an undercut rim in the shape of a donut. Approximate size is 7 inches in diameter by 3.5 inches high.  It is Maple wood with a lacquer finish. Hollow Form is a style of wood turning.  It requires patience and skill to remove the interior wood through a small opening.  The maker achieves this with hook shape tools.  Unable to see into the opening he relies on measuring calipers and the cutting sound to remove interior wood and not

Description Shot Through The Heart Vase is wood from a plum tree outside our dining room window until it died from insect damage. Notice the heart image with the hole with a natural opening from the root formation.  I knew I had to find a way to preserve a piece of this tree that we looked at every day. The size is 7 inch diameter by 8 inches tall. The style of this vase is a Hollow Form. which means the opening at the top is smaller than the diameter of the vase.  Special te

Culture Issues Crisscross Apple Sauce Vase Inspiration for this piece is from Native American pottery.  One day playing with my four year old granddaughter I asked her to sit Indian Style for a photo. Her reply is that I should not say “Sit Indian Style” and that the correct saying is to sit “Crisscross Apple Sauce.” Therefore this is not a Native American Style Vase, but a Crisscross Apple Sauce Vase.  I am still not sure I understand why this correction is taking place in o

Description Purple Pet Urn Sphere. Perusing an antique store I come across approximately 40 antique European and Asian porcelain bowl lids from the 1700 and 1800′s.  They are missing their bases. This lid is European.  The overall size is 7 inch diameter. I like the contrast of the small lid and the large  base. The wood is Maple with a blue dye and a protective poly finish. I hope you enjoy this collaboration with an artist from the past. It was a two year journey developing

This Spirit Form Vessel is Madrone wood.  The style is Hollow Form where the opening is smaller than the diameter.  It takes practice and a new set of skills to remove the inside wood which is not visible to the turner.  This piece is approximately 3 inch diameter by 1 inch tall.  It is very comforting to hold and some believe spirits find a home in these forms. About Spirit Form Vessels go way back in time and are common in many cultures. Native Americans and people of ancie

I design and produce all my items in my Montvale, NJ USA studio Reading Wood This Oak Burl Hollow Form is 7 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall. A  friend had a huge oak tree cut down threatening his Victorian home.  He told me to come over for some wood. When the tree cutter learned that I was a wood turner he hand picked several logs which he said that would make me very happy.  This was early in my journey and it was a surprise that someone could know that there was somet

Description Antique Knock Off Bowl is an experiment with color and texture. I threw everything at this piece using pyrography for texture, modeling paste to smooth out the depth of the burns, color dye stains and finally gold paint.  I enjoy making wood no longer appear to be wood. The size is 3 inch diameter by 2.5 inches tall. The style of the piece is Hollow Form Turning. Let’s step back in time when man started to work with metal.  With some texturing and gold paint I can

Description No Sap Here is a Hollow Form Spirit Vessel. The wood is walnut.  The white sapwood is covered with black texture and the dark brown color is the hardwood.  The white sapwood on this spirit form is very distracting and boring.  To make the white section darker I use pyrography which is a branding process requiring a special tool.  I leave a fine white line between the burning of the black pyrography and the natural walnut.  The size is 5 inch diameter by 2.5 inches