Can you picture yourself on the tropical beaches of Tahiti... a huge golden sun sinking into the sea? While I've never physically been to that paradise island, I've been taken there many times by the haunting instrumental penned by the brilliant composer Bert Kaempfert, titled "Tahitian Sunset". This Boxelder Burl hollow vessel, with its "setting sun" of Buckthorn, is a small tribute to Bert, whose hundreds of tunes I've enjoyed immensely for decades. The incredible figure in this dyed burl wood speaks of ocean depths and currents, with a clarity and color found only in the tropical Pacific. "Tahitian Sunset" has a lustrous, gloss finish.
If you're not familiar with Bert Kaempfert's "Tahitian Sunset", you can find it and many other Kaempfert compositions on Youtube, all well worth listening to.
Diameter: 41/4 inches.
Height: 7 inches.
Price: $550
Shipping: $22 (max) to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. See Shipping for details.
Curly Maple Carved Hollow Wood Vessel (HF73)
A very large Sugar Maple that had graced a small-town New England back road with its shade, and whose sweet sap had been tapped for maple syrup, held another pleasant surprise within its wood when its life finally ended. No one knows what causes the phenomenon, but this tree produced curly figure, long cherished by many for its mesmerizing reflectance. What a sweet tree this was, in several ways.
Once the vessel was turned, it was hollowed, then carved.
Silky finish.
Diameter: 5 inches.
Height: 61/2 inches.
Price: $525
Shipping: $18 (max) to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. See Shipping for details.
Red Oak Burl Hollow Wood Vessel (HF50)
Several features combine to make this hollow vessel of Tulip Poplar one of my favorites. I particularly like the deep violet color that is sometimes found in the heartwood of Tulip Poplar, so this piece was dyed to a deep plum shade to celebrate that. Then there's the ring of carved flutes in the wood's natural color surrounding the genuine Gabon Ebony collar. Finally, texturing was added to soften the transition between the deep violet body and the flutes.
You can read the story of the tree that supplied this wood in the June 21, 2013 section of the Bowlwood blog.
Lustrous, semi-gloss finish.
Diameter: 5 inches.
Height: 7 inches.
Price: $520
Shipping: $22 (max) to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. See Shipping for details.
A farmer clearing his woodlot to put in a hay mow contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in a "big burl". Those two words light a fire in any woodturner's soul. Several winter weeks later, it was finally being turned on the lathe. This diminutive piece is the first of several to come from the burl. The vessel is hollow, with a partial natural rim on the neck flare. Finished with lemongrass oil and beeswax, it has a charming tactile quality.
Diameter: 31/4 inches.
Height: 41/2 inches.
Price: $105
Shipping: $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. See Shipping for details.
Tall Boxelder and Bloodwood Hollow Wood Vessel (HF69)
Wooden Vessel Gallery 3
Tulip Poplar Carved Hollow Wood Vessel (HF61)
With its pinkish cast, this Tasmanian Rose Myrtle Burl hollow form has a soft, warm glow. As you rotate the piece in a raking light, you will be intrigued by reflections in its flame-like 3-dimensional curly figure that seems to jump out of the surface. This effect is known as "chatoyance", and this vessel has it on three quarters of its circumference. Birdseyes are another feature of the burl, as is the textured Claro Walnut burl cap.
This lovely orb-like hollow wood art piece will quietly grace your favorite spot just as it is; or, it could be used as a vase for a small amount of dried flowers or colorful feathers. After it was hand crafted on the lathe, the wood dried out a bit more, leaving a subtle ripple texture that can be felt when the piece is handled.
Soft, semi-gloss finish.
Diameter: 41/2 inches.
Height: 43/4 inches.
Price: $325
Shipping: $15 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. See Shipping for details.
Tasmanian Rose Myrtle Burl Wooden Vessel (HF29)
Can any artist surpass what nature does routinely? Not to my way of thinking. The coral streaks dripping down the sides of this Boxelder vessel support that thought. They were put there by, of all things, a fungus. It entered the tree within the body of an Ambrosia beetle, which deposits it in small galleries it excavates to raise its young. The adult and larvae then feed on the growing fungus garden. You can read more about this on my blog.
A 24-flute carved collar surrounds the Bloodwood cap.
Lustrous semi-gloss finish.
Diameter: 61/4 inches.
Height: 113/4 inches.
Price: $800
Shipping: $22 (max) to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates. See Shipping for details.
"Tahitian Sunset" Hollow Wood Vessel (HF63)
Bowlwood Distinctive Handcrafted Wooden Bowls and More
featuring fine Burls and Hardwoods