The Wood Rose

 

 

    

White Campion Flowers in Autumn

For more years than I care to admit to, I've enjoyed exploring autumn meadows and woodlands here in Western Massachusetts, always on the lookout for interesting discoveries hidden away from casual view. And there have been many, almost on every venture. There's a lot to see, and much to learn... everything from trees, weeds, grasses, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, even rocks.

A lot of those years were seen through the lenses of still and motion picture cameras, and two one-hour films were produced as a result ("Life Near a Beaver Pond", and "The Snakes of New England") (film, not video... raise your hand if you remember film).

But now, as a woodturner, I'm especially drawn to anything and everything that might be usable in that craft, from downed trees for raw material, to shapes for inspiration.

One of the fascinating little finds is that certain wildflowers seem to try to immortalize their delicate, tiny flowers by drying them out in autumn, hardening their tissue paper-like petals into woody structures that might endure, at least for a little while. Some, like Campion, look like miniature unopened roses made of wood.

Bladder Campion in Autumn

 I've wanted to turn a hollow form inspired by those "wood roses" for a long time, and finally got around to doing the first one recently.

"The Wood Rose" - Spalted Maple

 A small chunk of spalted Maple has been calling out for attention; it had the requirements for the task at hand (hard, close-grained wood; spalting), so now it's officially "The Wood Rose".

The block was turned to shape and hollowed on the lathe,then the rim was carved to resemble the Bladder Campion's five lobes, though not as sharply pointed. The rose is 3-1/2 inches in diameter, 4-1/2 inches tall.

Several coats of finish later, followed by buffing and polishing, the wood rose was completed. There will likely be more to follow!

 

                                       

                                                  

"The Wood Rose" - Spalted Maple Hollow Vessel

A second foray into the world of flower buds resulted in "The Rosebud", a hollow vessel turned and carved from Boxelder Burl. The natural pink and red blushes in Boxelder Burl add a warm, inviting dimension to a turning, and make this species a perfect choice to form into a flower bud.

The Rosebud - Boxelder Burl Vessel

The piece is hollow, weighing about 5-1/2 ounces; the rim was carved into the opening sepals of the bud. Some natural bark inclusions, common in Boxelder Burl, are the focal point on the front of the vessel, and they're surrounded by random spots and flashes of pink and rosy red.

The vessel is 5" tall, 4" in diameter.

The Rosebud - Boxelder Burl

"The Wood Rose" and "The Rosebud" are available for purchase at Bowlwood.com.   

  

What's Happening During the Blizzard of Jan 12, 2011

 

As this is written, the eastern half of the U.S. is being either blessed or cursed, depending on your outlook, with a blizzard. In Western Massachusetts, where I live, it's still snowing, and there's 16 to 19 inches of powdery stuff already down.

The Timberturner Shack under 19 inches of snow

Does that bother me? No, not at all. I'm a woodturner, after all, and my lathe is situated in a timber framed "shack", just six feet from an old potbelly wood stove (that's where all the "mistakes" go). Does it get any better than watching the snow silently fall just outside a big window while the wood chips fly around inside, and the fire crackles, and polished turnings emerge from a chunk of Cherry Burl? Hardly. 

Here's a few glimpses of pieces recently completed...

Cherry Burl Hollow Vase

A small, hollow weed pot of Cherry Burl, about the size of a plump sparrow.

A striking natural-edged bowl of Cherry Burl, with bark left intact under the rim. The lichens that grew on the bark are still attached to it.

Cherry Burl Bark-Sided Bowl

Large Spalted Silver Maple Bowl

 

This bowl is Spalted Silver Maple, from a tree whose toes were sunk in the wet, fertile soil of the Connecticut River Valley.

And finally, another burl bowl, this one of Boxelder Burl, featuring a large bark inclusion as its focal point.

All of these turnings, and more, are available for purchase at either www.timberturner.com, or www.bowlwood.com.

Enjoy the snow!

Some Recent Turnings, Tall and Tiny

 

 

It's been a busy and rewarding fall for me, with holiday orders and a new, larger lathe on duty in an expanded turning shack. With the help of my brother Ron, I added 40 square feet of space to the building; not a huge addition, but it was all I have room for, and it made a nice difference during the Christmas rush.

Thank you to all my customers who purchased turnings of all kinds from the Timberturner and Bowlwood websites... you're all appreciated ! Happy New Year !

Now that the shack addition is finished, and the new Powermatic lathe is installed, it's time to get back to full time woodturning at a normal pace.

Mini Black Cherry Burl Hollow Vessel

Here are a couple of the most recent items I've turned... first is a diminutive hollow vessel of Black Cherry Burl, a "mini weed pot". It's just 3-1/2 inches tall... hollow and lightweight. Note the many birdseyes in the photo below.

Birdseyes in Cherry Burl

A few of the Cherry burls I have on hand are very small, just big enough to end up as something such as this.

Even the small ones are prized.

Another favorite wood is Yew, probably best known by most folks as a short-needled evergreen shrub typically used as a foundation planting. But left to its own devices, Yew can grow to become a small tree. When one bushy beauty had to be removed to make way for progress on an Amherst campus, the wood became available to me-- I eagerly trucked it home, because I know it well.

 

Yew Weedpot

Weedpots turned from Yew have been among my most popular, and sell well. I've not encountered anyone who didn't appreciate its deep, warm orange-red color and attractive grain patterns.

I prefer to leave some patches of cream-colored sapwood on these vases, to provide a striking contrast with the heartwood.

Yew Weedpot, 12-1/2" tall

Notice the grain lines in and around the sapwood  on this 12-1/2" tall vase... like smoke wafting from a cigarette.

The dark brown patch within the creamy sapwood is a bit of the inner bark; the still-darker spot at the very bottom is a small knot.

These, and many other turnings, are available for purchase at www.timberturner.com.

Cherry burl bowls, and Yew bowls from the Amherst tree, are available at www.bowlwood.com.