Notes
Please feel free to call or email me before ordering if you have any questions or would like more information. I recommend you do, I’m usually easy to reach. If you tell me what you are looking for I can advise you or make something to suit you. I usually have many bowls and other items that are not on the website.
Dimensions
Please note the dimensions listed for each piece. The size of the pictures does not (and can not) accurately portray the actual size of the piece compared to other pieces shown. The listed dimensions will give you the correct size of an item.
Spaulted Wood
The term spaulted means the wood has been colored, lined or marked by the action of natural decay organisms. Fungi and other microflora stain wood blue, gray, brown, red, orange or yellow. When two colonies of fungi encounter each other trying to use the same wood they will produce margin lines to defend their section of wood, thin dark lines that look as if they had been drawn with black ink.
Sanding
I spend a lot of time on most of my pieces sanding and smoothing in an effort to remove all scratches and tool marks, at least to the eye or touch. I am not completely successful at this, as magnification will always reveal scratches and tool marks. Invariably after completing a piece, I will find some flaw that avoided detection, but, for the most part, you will have to look very closely to find my tracks.
I love to see the richness of the pattern and color of the grain begin to rise up from within the wood as the final grades of sanding start to polish the surface. I usually sand and polish pieces to an very fine smoothness. Over time, through changes in temperature and humidity tiny bits of wood which were smashed flat into the surface will rise and roughen surface. These bits of raised grain can be removed and the surface returned to smoothness with occasional polishing with a very fine grit (320 grit to 600 grit) sandpaper.
Finishing
For most of my recent work I finish with multiple coats of pure tung oil. It is food and toy safe and produces a deep, rich, lustorous finish. I sometimes will use linseed oil, lacquer, varnish or shellac if it seems more appropriate. Some pieces I have chosen to leave as raw unfinished wood. These are usually pieces were I think the grain and color of the particular piece wood are so beautiful that I do not want to risk darkening or changing the appearance by applying a finish. If the wood is kept clean and dry it will last very well. I will generally note if a piece is bare wood with no oil or finish.
Pricing
I price my work primarily based on the amount of working time it takes me to produce it. Some other factors may affect the price like rarity or cost of the material or how much I like, or don’t like, the result. It takes considerable time and effort to create these objects. At best if I work hard it may provide me a modest living. The need to allow for the expense of presenting work for sale through galleries and other venues will inevitably require an increase my pricing.
