All bowls are made from locally sourced Maine wood, often spalted and salvaged. The forms and finishes therefore may have blemishes, cracks, and imperfections. I like the wood itself to dictate the final forms. Finishes are food-safe linseed oil and beeswax, and can be maintained with an occasional application of an oil of your choice.
Apple
This was a very old tree in my nephew’s front yard that needed to be removed because it was bug-infested and no longer healthy enough to produce fruit. Most of the tree was decayed as it was hollow but I was able to salvage some of the trunk.
Apple wood is very dense hardwood with beautiful color contrasts between the heartwood (dark) and sapwood (light). I used branch wood for these (since the trunk was hollowed out) so most of these bowls are on the smaller side, with a few live-edge pieces.
Ash
I salvaged this this Ash tree when the power lines were being cleaned and trees were being cut down. This tree was about 70 years old, and I was able to salvage a few 6’ logs; all the smaller pieces were donated to the local firewood bank. Unfortunately, the state of Maine has been heavily infected by the Emerald Ash borer which is devastating our Ash trees – I foresee working with a lot more Ash as these infected trees get taken down. Luckily, this tree was spared.
Mature Ash can have very nice figure and is typically relatively dry even while standing, which lessens the drying time required by many other hardwoods. It’s known for its tensile strength and shock absorption
Maple
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Spalted Maple
This tree came down in a storm a few years ago in a neighbor’s yard up the street. It was left decaying outside for about 4 years, so I knocked on the door and the owner was happy it was put to use. There were 3 trunks growing out of one stump! The wood turned out to be beautifully spalted, though a lot was too decayed to be usable.
Spalting is staining that occurs in the wood from the decaying process and the minerals from fungi. Insect trails leave interesting patterns and streaking… if you can catch it before it’s too soft to work, it can produce striking, one of a kind pieces. Spalting can occur in many hardwoods, though Maple seems to be the most common in Maine.
Ambrosia Maple
This 140 year old Sugar Maple was knocked over in a thunderstorm in Cumberland, Maine. As an arborist, I was called to clean up the tree since it was blocking the home’s driveway. We used the branches for firewood but salvaged the trunk. Hopefully there are some nice surprises ahead with this log but you never know until you get it on the lathe and see what it holds.
Ambrosia maple is a hardwood known for the unique patterns left by the boring of ambrosia beetles when they inhabit the wood and lay their eggs. You can spot ambrosia by the straight black boring lines. They’re most prevalent in Sugar Maples but can affect any Maple variety.
Walnut
As an arborist, I was asked to prune this 80 year old Walnut tree and took an 8” diameter branch off that was blocking sunlight to the owner’s garden. I was fortunate to be able to bring home this wood, even if just one branch.
Walnut is prized by woodworkers for its rich dark color and workability, but is relatively rare in Maine in large specimens; it’s mostly planted for shade & ornamental trees. Walnut wood darkens with age and sunlight exposure, and has a reputation of durability yet is relatively soft for a hardwood.
