Large Bigleaf Maple Burl Bowl (BW220)

The figure in this Bigleaf Maple burl bowl is stunning, with areas of 3-dimensional "quilted" figure (click on the photo at left). A small bark inclusion near the rim is a focal point that's completely surrounded by some of Nature's best burl figure. This large wooden bowl will draw everyone's attention, and you'll want to give it a special, prominent place in your home. The bowl has a hand rubbed finish, polished with fine waxes to a soft semi-gloss lustre.  Diameter: 151/2 inches     Height:   63/4 inches        Price: $460 Shipping: $18 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

The Connecticut River valley floodplain is a garden that grows some impressive Silver Maples, particularly along the riverbanks, where the tree roots can drink up all the water they can use. Silver Maples seem to be particularly adept at predicting an oncoming storm, as their leaves turn over and flag the pressure drop with their showy silver undersides. Unfortunately for the trees, a windy storm can often topple some of these big boys; but then, we woodturners benefit from the "windfall". And if the fallen log happens to be spalted from invading fungi, well that's just icing on the cake! So here's some of that icing, a nicely spalted piece of cake, er, Silver Maple ... click on these thumbnails and have a look at the black spalt lines that nature doodled, and the silvery tan coloring of the wood. Pretty, isn't it? The rim of the bowl is an applied ring made up of twelve segments of the same wood, providing a flared lip that enhances the shape. Amazingly lightweight for its size, this beauty will be a graceful centerpiece on someone's dining table. Diameter:  14 inches     Height:  43/4 inches       Price: $300 Shipping: $18 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

This is another Connecticut River valley Spalted Silver Maple bowl, shaped differently than the one above, but just as handsomely decorated by nature. Widely patterned spalt lines splash across the sides of this large bowl, like India ink drawings. Interspersed among them are several small, more-or-less round vestigial knots. Due to this tree's moist, riverine growing conditions, its wood has wide growth rings, reminiscent of the contour lines on a topographic map. The combination of all these markings makes this a wooden bowl that will draw attention. Diameter:  14 inches     Height:   53/4 inches      Price: $225 Shipping: $18 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

Red Mallee Burl never fails to please, it's just so appealing. This bowl is turned on both sides (upper and lower), but still has its wild, natural edge rim, for a touch of Outback. Like most Red Mallee Burl, it has plenty of birdseyes, the deep red/brown heartwood framed in tan sapwood, and a lustrous surface. The turned surfaces are finely sanded, finished in semi-gloss, and buffed with fine waxes to a silky smooth. Diameter:    121/2  inches (bowl hollow:  81/4 inches)     Height:    21/4 inches         Price: $165 Shipping: $18 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

Black Locust trees are native to the southeastern states, but have established themselves as a "pioneer species" in the northeast as well.  They're found in sunny, open places, such as roadsides and abandoned fields. A mature Black Locust trunk is ruggedly handsome, with deeply furrowed, tan bark; yet, the compound leaves are dainty, and the flowers perfume the air with their delicate fragrance.  The wood of Black Locust is attractive and polishes well. This wooden bowl displays a 3-dimensional effect at the interlocked grain surrounding the knots seen in the main photo. In fact, the entire bowl is a play of untamed grain. The light amber color helps to show it all off. A few small, shallow natural cracks (sealed) and bark inclusions complete the list of attractive features. The finish is multiple coats of a urethane varnish, buffed and polished with carnauba and finishing waxes to a soft sheen. Diameter: 101/2 inches     Height:   5 inches       Price: $145 Shipping: $15 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

This bark-rimmed natural edge bowl was turned from a Red Maple tree, a victim of the June, 2011, F3 tornado that left its enduring mark on the landscape of Western Massachusetts. The small cracks evident in the two ends of the bowl have been filled and sealed, and now are just another aspect of the visual interest of the piece. The bowl has a hand rubbed thin varnish finish, polished with fine waxes to a soft semi-gloss lustre.  Diameter: 14 x 12 inches     Height:  7 inches        Price: $160 Shipping: $15 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

The starburst pattern on the side of this bowl was created by natural staining introduced into the tree's wood by the actions of the Ambrosia beetle, which gives Red Maple one of its alternate names, Ambrosia Maple. There are a few telltale pinholes where the beetle larvae exited the wood as adult insects. Also scattered about the bowl are several areas of spalting, those random black lines resembling India-ink drawings put down by a wandering mind. The bowl has a hand rubbed thin varnish finish, polished with fine waxes to a soft semi-gloss lustre.  Diameter: 12 inches     Height:  5 inches        Price: $175 Shipping: $15 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

Black Willow is a tree that prefers moist or wet sites, such as along streams or in river valleys. Well, the day we went to harvest the many burls from a wind thrown New Hampshire Black Willow, it was certainly wet! Rainy and cold, the late fall day had us wondering if the effort would be worthwhile. It was. It was a chore to slice all the burls from the carcass of this tree, and the weather didn't help. But by day's end, we had a pickup truck loaded to the gills with our spoils. Weary and in need of a hot shower, we headed home to western Massachusetts. Willow wood is lightweight, and light colored. Burls of this wood have unpredictable grain, making them much more interesting than the normal wood of the trunk. This bowl has an area of 3-dimensional, curly figure (left side of main photo) along the rim, and bark inclusions that add dark brown contrast to the off-white wood. A satin finish varnish was applied, buffed with fine waxes.  Diameter: 11 inches     Height:  31/2 inches      Price: $135 Shipping: $15 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

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