featuring selected North American and Australian Burls and Hardwoods
Artist Info - Ray Asselin My first experience turning wood was on an old treadle lathe in a one-day class at Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock, MA, some 25 years ago. I was hooked. In 1994, I purchased my first lathe, and have been enjoying turning ever since. Most of my early turnings were "weed pots" (vases into which you put dried weeds, grasses, etc.), but have included many other objects, such as platters, bowls, lamps, lidded boxes, candle holders, hollow vessels, and some segmented items. Today, I'm primarily turning bowls, vases, and vessels, and specialize in burl wood bowls. The excitement of turning a new wood species for the first time never fades. Most of the woods I turn are from local trees that have died or been taken down of necessity, or have been storm damaged. I don't cut down live trees for the sake of obtaining wood. The Australian burl woods I use are legally harvested and strictly controlled by Australian authorities; the burls are removed from the trees without cutting the trees down. You'll find many of my pieces retain the natural defects of the wood (worm holes, bark inclusions, voids, etc.), because they're a reminder of the rugged nature and resilience of trees. To see some of my other turnings (lamps, vases, hollow vessels, music boxes, more), visit my Etsy shop, www.timberturner.com.
The Bowlwood shop is located in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts (U.S.A.), an area that's richly endowed with New England hardwood forests that provide much of the raw materials for wood bowls and vessels.
As a former database tech support person for large corporations, I can say that it's much more peaceful, and just as rewarding, to spend my days producing art objects on a wood lathe.
Several years ago I built a post-and-beam, timber framed wood shop heated by a small potbelly stove. Finally, I could move out of the dreary basement into a bright new world. Every wall has windows; the daylight flooding in makes all the difference. The days drift by when I'm turning wood, ankle deep in wood chips, particularly on winter days when the tranquility of falling snow sets the mood.
Read the latest news on my blog at
www.timberturner.blogspot.com
You can also see my work in these galleries and shops:
- Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
- Grow Gallery, Shelburne Falls, MA
- Paper Reeds, Somers, CT
- Petersham Craft Center,
Petersham, MA
- North Quabbin Woods, Orange, MA
- Nashawannuck Gallery,
Easthampton, MA
- Hotchkiss Mobiles Gallery,
W. Stockbridge, MA
- Flights of Fancy Gallery,
Stafford Springs, CT
- Inside Out Home & Garden, Wilbraham, MA
| Contact Info Email: ray@bowlwood.com Phone: U.S.A. (413) 596-8292 Purchase Info For U.S.A. customers: to purchase an item via PayPal, click the "Add to Cart" button at the bottom of its description; click any "View Cart" button to checkout and make your payment- you will be transferred to PayPal's secure site to process the payment, then returned to this site. Your credit card information will be privately and securely handled directly by PayPal; it will not be seen by anyone except PayPal. For customers or shipping destinations outside mainland U.S.A., please contact me (do not use the "Add to Cart" buttons). I will calculate shipping costs and invoice you through PayPal. For inquiries, or to purchase by check, contact me (do not use the "Add to Cart" buttons). Be sure to enter your shipping address, and any special shipping instructions, on the PayPal page. Purchases will be packaged carefully, and shipped promptly, usually via US Postal Service. Your satisfaction is very important to me; if you are not happy with a purchase, you may return the item for a refund or exchange within 14 days, as long as it is in the same condition as you received it. Shipping Charges Specified shipping prices are for mainland U.S.A. destinations only, and include insurance. NOTE: Automatic shipping cost calculators are unreliable, so if you purchase multiple items, each item's shipping charge will be added to the total shipping cost in PayPal. This may result in excessive shipping costs being charged; if the shipping charge exceeds the cost of shipping, I will promptly issue a refund of the excess amount via PayPal. If you return an item, its shipping charge is non-refundable; return shipping cost will be your responsibility. Privacy Statement I respect your privacy, and will not share any information about you with anyone without your permission. If you make a purchase, and later provide feedback comments (which I invite), I may post your comments, but will not identify you. Custom Orders Inquiries about custom orders are welcomed. Custom orders will require at least a partial prepayment. Links To see some of my other turned items, visit my Etsy shop, www.timberturner.com. Visit and join my blog at www.timberturner.blogspot.com For one of the best American dealers in Australian and North American burls, see Bad Dogs Burl Source. Member, Central New England Woodturners, www.cnew.org. |
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