Mesquite
This is mesquite wood from Texas. It is a very heavy, dense wood with vibrant coloring and quite distinctive grain patterns. I try to show off the individual characteristics of each piece of wood I turn so as to incorporate as much as I can into the final design of each bowl. To me, natural inclusions can be an interesting and intrinsic element of the finished piece. I never use stain as it only covers up the natural beauty of the wood.
All of my Madrona wood came from Lynnwood, Washington. This is a very light weight wood with a distinctive red color and very subtle grain variation. Again, no stains are used to enhance or cover the woods.
This collection of spalted maple bowls came from a tree that lived to be over one hundred years old in Marymoor Park, Bellevue, WA. The park arborist was forced to cut down this graceful and stately tree due to a fungal disease which was killing it. The fungus was also resoponsible for creating the beautiful spalting in the wood.
In this photo album are bowls made out of cherry, maple, oak, black locust and english walnut. I receive calls from those who are forced to take down a tree and they would rather it be made into something beautiful rather than burned.
