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 soaks up water, minerals and fungi that break down the wood fibers. This creates patterns similar to the ones seen in this bowl. As the decay continues the wood becomes soft, punky and useless. If caught in time the lumber can be very useful too create unique products. Here is another piece with spalting Spalted Sphere Globe
Gift Ideas
I love to share my art and if you are looking for a special gift like Earthquake Bowl please take a look in my store and my Etsy Shop.
Studio
I design and produce all my items in my studio in New Jersey, USA. My primary tool is the wood lathe. In 2008 while visiting a gallery and came across a beautiful wood bowl. The purchase price was $3000 and I thought for that amount of money I could learn the process and purchase the tools to make items like this. After my first two days of instruction I was totally addicted and purchased my first lathe. The first bowl was rather crappy, but I was on my way.
As I began to produce pieces I wanted more from my turnings and began to explore decorative processes. These include pyrography which is a branding technique that burns an image into the wood surface. Next came carving and piercing. Painting, airbrushing and finishing are constantly evolving to improve the final surface.