Lidded Vessels and Containers
My vessels are turned on a lathe from a solid piece of wood. The rough chunk of wood is mounted to the machine, and a hand held chisel shapes the spinning piece. Specialized hook-shaped tools are used to hollow out the interior of the vessel. Hollowing is a time consuming process of working by feel, checking frequently with calipers,
and coaxing all of the wood chips out of the small opening.
After the unseasoned (green) piece of wood is turned to it’s rough shape, it is dried until all of the tree sap in the cells has evaporated. I use a variety of drying techniques since each type of wood reacts differently. The rough turned piece may be boiled for a couple of hours in a big pot of water, or dried slowly in a paper bag, before finishing the drying in a specially made kiln. As the wood dries it shrinks, distorts, and sometimes cracks. At this point some of the rough pieces don’t survive. After it is completely dry, the vessel is remounted to the lathe,
turned to it’s final shape, and sanded to a high polish.
I finish the completed vessel with hand rubbed oil and wax for waterproof protection. Because the wood is completely seasoned in Colorado’s dry climate, and the vessel is turned with a consistently thin wall, the piece should not crack or change its shape even if it is taken to live in a wetter or drier environment.
When creating a lidded container, I often will decorate the piece with precious metals, gemstones, or 23k gold leaf. The application of gold leaf is known as “gilding”, and has been used to decorate furniture, picture frames, signs, architectural components, religious artifacts, books, and other highly prized works since the middle ages. I use a traditional gilding technique of applying a “gold size” varnish, which the gold leaf adheres to, and finish with a burnishing style referred to as “engine turning”. Since pure gold doesn’t tarnish,
there is no protective coating over the gold to impair its brilliance.
Despite my best efforts to control it, wood remains a living material with its own personality!
My pieces develop their own character as they age.
and coaxing all of the wood chips out of the small opening.
After the unseasoned (green) piece of wood is turned to it’s rough shape, it is dried until all of the tree sap in the cells has evaporated. I use a variety of drying techniques since each type of wood reacts differently. The rough turned piece may be boiled for a couple of hours in a big pot of water, or dried slowly in a paper bag, before finishing the drying in a specially made kiln. As the wood dries it shrinks, distorts, and sometimes cracks. At this point some of the rough pieces don’t survive. After it is completely dry, the vessel is remounted to the lathe,
turned to it’s final shape, and sanded to a high polish.
I finish the completed vessel with hand rubbed oil and wax for waterproof protection. Because the wood is completely seasoned in Colorado’s dry climate, and the vessel is turned with a consistently thin wall, the piece should not crack or change its shape even if it is taken to live in a wetter or drier environment.
When creating a lidded container, I often will decorate the piece with precious metals, gemstones, or 23k gold leaf. The application of gold leaf is known as “gilding”, and has been used to decorate furniture, picture frames, signs, architectural components, religious artifacts, books, and other highly prized works since the middle ages. I use a traditional gilding technique of applying a “gold size” varnish, which the gold leaf adheres to, and finish with a burnishing style referred to as “engine turning”. Since pure gold doesn’t tarnish,
there is no protective coating over the gold to impair its brilliance.
Despite my best efforts to control it, wood remains a living material with its own personality!
My pieces develop their own character as they age.