Description
Genesis Wooden Bowl came about as a what I often refer to as a design opportunity. This is when things do not go as planed and the maker has to find an alternative solution. In the case of this bowl I had a large wood bowl blank from a willow tree. I was excited to be turning willow for the first time. The experience was a let down. The wood was soft and there was a lot of tear out which leaves an uneven finish. Then the color was an ugly beige. The solution was to use a pyrography tool to brand the entire surface and then to paint it.
Pyrography Decorations
Pyrography is a branding technique accomplished by applying a red hot wire to the wood surface. I shape these wires to represent symbols for water, land, life and the galaxy. By combining these symbols I can tell a story.
There are Wood Turning Purists who object to painting wood. I think this is a ridiculous restriction for creativity. Wood is just another type of canvas. Why would anyone intentionally limit creative opportunities? How do these restrictive rules come about? I often wonder what would be in museums if there were canvas purists. After all wood does grow on trees. Furniture has been painted since its inception. I received a lot of grief from club members when I came in with painted bowls. Now many of them are using paint on their pieces.
Studio
If you like Genesis Wooden Bowl here is another piece using pyrography decorations. Graphic Wood Sphere
All of my pieces are designed in my Studio in Montvale, New Jersey, USA. I divide my time between the wood lathe and the workbench where secondary operations take place making each item unique. The time spent on pyrography easily exceeded the time spent on the lathe for this wood bowl.