Hand Carved Bowls

When a tree comes down in a city, it almost always ends up as mulch. These bowls begin at that moment instead. Working with urban arborists, unusual species are rescued just before they disappear — sycamore, black oak, birch, plum, and others that simply do not appear in any lumber yard. Each piece of wood arrives with its own character, and the carving follows it.

A carving gouge, axe, and adze answer to no predetermined geometry. Where a lathe naturally favors round, symmetrical forms, hand carving opens the full range: elongated, irregular, shallow, deep, or something that resists easy description. The tool marks that remain are not errors; they are the record of how the piece was made, and they give the surface a warmth that no sanded finish can replicate. Each bowl is unique in both species and form — a direct conversation between the maker and a particular piece of wood that would otherwise no longer exist.

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