Bowlwood Distinctive Handcrafted Wooden Bowls
featuring selected North American and Australian Burls and Hardwoods
featuring selected North American and Australian Burls and Hardwoods
Bowl Gallery 4 (click on photos for larger image)
Spalted Silver Maple Wood Bowl (BW150)
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When a Silver Maple tree came down, it provided some wonderfully spalted wood for bowls, and I was fortunate to turn several from the log. This one features a bead around the rim, and some half-inch wide growth rings (testimony to the tree's fast growth, due to excellent soil and plenty of river water). Sought after by woodturners, spalted wood is a curiosity of nature, and always provokes conversation. Several coats of semi-gloss finish protect this piece, and it was buffed and polished with hard carnauba wax for an inviting, silky soft feel. Diameter: 93/4 inches Height: 4 inches Price: $125 Shipping: $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Large Black Cherry Burl Bowl (BW176)
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New England Black Cherry Burl is always a joy to turn, and it's a North American classic. This bowl, with a flared rim shape, shows off several Cherry features, including burl figure (birdseyes, etc), curving grain lines, bark inclusions, and a touch of creamy sapwood to contrast with the warmer Cherry color. It measures 131/4 inches in diameter, 51/4 inches tall-- a sweet table centerpiece. The finish consists of hand rubbed urethane oil varnish, buffed and polished with carnauba wax to a smooth, soft satin sheen. Price: $350 Shipping: $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Black Ash Burl and Walnut Wood Bowl (BW186)
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Like birdseye figure? Burls of the Black Ash tree (a North American species) have as many birdseyes as I've seen in any wood, and can be found in a range of tones, from near-white to a medium brown. This handsome burl bowl is particularly loaded with birdseyes, and is rimmed with a 12-segment California Claro Walnut ring that echoes their color. The finish is several coats of a urethane oil varnish, which was buffed and polished with fine carnauba wax to a very smooth semi-gloss. Diameter: 11 inches Height: 5 inches Price: $285 Shipping: $15 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Carved Red Mallee Burl Bowl (BW191) -- sold --
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The organic beauty of Red Mallee Burl is evident in this 27-inch long crescent bowl. The inside of the raw burl was carved out to create this stunning piece, while the underside was left in its natural state, complete with the spiky bumps that are characteristic of many burls. The rim edge of the bowl is the natural shape of the burl. With its hundreds of birdseyes, earthy reddish-brown color, and dramatic spiky underside, this art bowl will provoke a lot of discussion among your guests about the mysteries and wonders of trees (read about burls on my blog). Several coats of semi-gloss finish protect this piece, and it was buffed and polished with hard carnauba wax for an inviting, silky soft feel. There are subtle, smooth undulations in the surface of the bowl, bearing witness to its hand-carved origins. Length is 27 inches; width at large end is 9 inches, tapering to 4 inches at small end. Height is 2 inches. |
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Large Amherst Yew Bowl (BW194)
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It's unusual to find a Yew log large enough to turn a bowl of this size, so I was thankful for the chance to obtain one when it became available. What was a beautiful, vibrant tree just had to go to make room for a new building on an Amherst (Massachusetts) campus. It now will live on in the form of a few bowls and some vases. But what beauties they are! First, there's the glowing colors- orange/brown heartwood, off-white sapwood patches, dark brown bark inclusions, and some subtle violet highlights (see the second and last images). Second, there are grain patterns that mesmerize, reflecting the fact that this hunk of wood was at the junction of several stems. Click on the images and study this piece; there's not a bit of straight grain to be found. And third, the graceful shape of the bowl mimics the once-bushy evergreen it came from. Several coats of semi-gloss finish give this piece its sheen, and it was buffed and polished with waxes for a luxurious, silky soft feel. You'll love it. Diameter: 141/2 inches Height: 5 inches Price: $600 Shipping: $20 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Medium Amherst Yew Bowl (BW195)
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This Yew bowl is the second one turned from the Amherst campus tree described above, and is just as pretty as the first, but a bit smaller. It has most of the characteristics of the first bowl, except it has no purple streaks or bark inclusions. The overall color is a stunning orange/brown, with two small off-white sapwood patches at opposite points on the rim. Grain lines wriggle about in every direction, creating a pretty dazzling look. With its glass-smooth satin finish, this unusual wooden bowl begs to be handled. Diameter: 13 inches Height: 5 inches Price: $500 Shipping: $20 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Aged Black Cherry Burl Wood Bowl (BW193)
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I never tire of admiring the beauty of our native New England Black Cherry Burl. This is another example of the wonderfully attractive bowls that can be turned from this wood. Its features include, of course, the warm Cherry colors, several bark inclusion streaks, birdseye figure, and a few small, tight knots. This burl was among those gleaned from the collection of Cherry burls stored for years in the old hay barn of an elderly woodturner who passed on. Those aged burls have a glow you simply can't get from freshly cut Cherry. At 123/4 inches in diameter and 6 inches in height, this is a hefty, solid bowl, owing to the density of the Cherry wood. But its simple form gives it grace and elegance. It begs to be displayed prominently. Several coats of semi-gloss finish were polished and waxed to yield a delightfully silky feel you'll appreciate. Price: $425 Shipping: $20 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Eucalyptus Burl (Concinna) Wood Bowl (BW95)
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This is a large, natural-edged shallow burl bowl featuring very dense birdseye figure. A varying band of desert sand sapwood around the rim frame the copper colored heartwood. On the underside (last photo), you'll see some of the spiky texture found just under the bark of these burls; most has been smoothed away on the lathe. Doesn't the color pattern of the bottom remind you of giraffe hide? There are many species of Australian Eucalyptus, this one being Concinna Burl. As with most such burls, it is dense, hard, and gorgeous. The greatest diameter is 18 inches; the hollow of the bowl is 111/2 inches across, and the bowl stands 2 inches high. Several coats of semi-gloss finish were applied, then waxed and buffed to a glassy lustre. Price: $450 Shipping: $20 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Black Cherry Burl w/ Turquoise Inlay Wood Bowl (BW199)
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Black Cherry Burl doesn't need any help to look great, but some crushed mineral turquoise inlay certainly enhances its beauty. This bowl features several areas of the turquoise inlaid into natural voids in the burl, as well as a partial natural rim, several bark inclusion streaks, and Cherry burl's signature birdseye figure. Multiple coats of urethane oil finish were applied, then waxed and buffed to a glassy sheen. Diameter: 141/4 inches Height: 6 inches Price: $565 Shipping: $15 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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"Pilgrim's Harvest" - Large Spalted Bigleaf Maple Burl Bowl (BW205)
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Bigleaf Maple Burl can be quite varied in appearance. This 151/8 inch diameter beauty has a little bit of all the qualities that give this fine wood its reputation: a sampling of birdseye figure; a very nice patch of swirly 3-dimensional ripple figure known as "chatoyance" (see the second thumbnail below); a bit of spalting; and warm honey color. This harvest bowl is lightweight for its size, and is finished with a medium gloss that has been buffed to a wonderfully smooth, silky sheen. There is a fine bead detail at the rim. "Pilgrim's Harvest" is perfectly suited to grace a large table at your Thanksgiving feast. Diameter: 151/8 inches Height: 31/2 inches Price: $225 Shipping: $20 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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Siberian Elm Bowl (BW206)
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Prominent patches of medium-brown heartwood and bold grain lines are the main features of this hardwood bowl of Siberian Elm. Adding visual interest is a solid, tight knot that can be seen in several of the photos. Two of these graceful, seventy-foot elms shade my home and woodturning shop, and have so far escaped the ravages of Dutch Elm disease; they may be resistant to it, unlike the thousands of other elms that have succumbed to it just in my area. This bowl was turned from a large limb that had to be removed from one of the trees, which have sheltered countless birds, and have known the daily scamperings of as many squirrels. A semi-gloss finish was applied after turning and sanding, resulting in a very smooth lustre. Diameter: 123/4 inches Height: 41/2 inches Price: $120 Shipping: $20 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. |
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