|
|
 |
|
I have always enjoyed working with wood. Growing up in West Virginia, I can remember riding my bicycle
to the 'lumber yard' and tying scraps to my bike to bring home.
Although just a hobby, I put considerable time into many projects around the two homes I have restored.
I started building furniture here in New York when I had to have Oak and Maple trees taken down because of the 'gypsy moth'
invasion of the early 1980's. Instead of throwing the wood away,I hired a man who had a portable sawmill. From this effort
came numerous pieces of furniture and it even influenced me to have a multi-fuel furnace installed so that all the scraps
could be burned for heat. Today, nearly 30 years later, we still heat our home completely with wood.
About 15 years
ago, my brother offered me a lathe. Not accustomed to making 'round' things, I accepted but put it into a distant corner of
my workshop/basement. After retiring as an industrial biochemist, I decided to give it a try and discovered a great way to
be creative and to continue working with wood.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it can inspire
you to be creative in your own way.
|
|
|
My policy and ethic
Being retired, I find that going to my basement woodshop daily provides good mental therapy
as well as an opportunity to be creative. Each bowl is unique with the type of wood and character within the wood helping me
determine the final outcome. Not all of the bowls have made it to the finish line ! With the drying of
the bowl, some crack and are relegated to '2nd's'. The acceptable ones are then finished and allowed to 'age'. Aging
involves monitoring their changes in smoothness and shape. I generally do not offer a bowl for sale unless I have watched
over it for at least 6 months.
I would not want to offer a bowl for sale unless I knew for certain that it was not going
to change significantly in smoothness (if finished in an oil base) or perhaps develop a crack.
If, after you receive one of my bowls, you are not happy with it or if a noticeable
crack develops due to drying, email me and if possible send me a picture. If I agree with you, please return
it for credit.
I will allow you 30 days for your evaluation. When you purchase a bowl, there will
be no hidden charges, e.g. shipping and handling. I will send it to you insured at the listed price.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.
About the Wood
The pieces of wood used to make bowls come from many sources. Most often, I gather wood
at our local town recycling facility. Tree parts are brought from throughout the county by local town environmental departments.
Some wood I obtain from the electrical tree service personnel who remove fallen trees from storms. Sometimes friends
call to inform me about wood being available in their neighborhood. From this you can see that there is an abundant amount
of wood pieces to select from, therefore, I never cut down a tree to get a piece of wood to make a bowl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Winter 2008 in my woodshop |
My small business
I first started doing some fund raising shows for schools and non-profit organizations.
To this I have added 'renting shelves' at a handcraft store in Montgomery, NY. Now, with my website, I hope to offer many
bowls for your selection and consideration. Thank you for visiting my site and its informatitive pages.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Misshapened Bowl, Kitchawan, NY
|
|
|
|