Colorful Red Maple Bark Edged Bowl (23SF6) SOLD

The red maple wood used to make this bowl came from Grand Marais, MN. Red maple, also known as swamp maple or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. It is rarely seen as far north as Grand Marais. This tree was old and taken down due to decay and its closeness to a home. The wood carved nicely but a few hairline cracks appeared in the bottom of the bowl. These are in the dark area and run with the grain near the pith of the log. These small cracks are sealed and stable. The wood is unusually colorful for red maple, probably due to the start of spalting (fungal decay). The outer sap wood is tan with a few cream-colored areas. Most red maple has a much lighter sap wood.  There are a few interesting dark marks, especially in the lighter sap wood just under the bark, but also in the darker heartwood. These marks appear in all the red maple wood I have been turning and look like small sailboats. They could have been caused by insects or bird pecking during the growth of the tree. The heart wood is red brown and appears in the lower part of the bowl, just above the center (pith) of the tree. The wood was turned green and was dried under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity. I always try to preserve the bark on bowls because my goal is to show the complete beauty of the wood. Bark is an important part of the tree. This bark was solid and red brown in color. It nicely contrasts with the lighter sap wood in the bowl. This bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from green wood, dried for several months, and sanded to 400 grit. Wood that is turned green will always warp as it dries. This adds a natural quality to the bowl, but also requires the bottom to be re-turned so the bowl sits well. The bowl was sealed with two coats of tung oil, hand sanded after each coat, and finished with a buffed thin coat of beeswax and walnut oil. This finish is considered food safe so this bowl can be used to serve or display food, although it is best used as an artistic piece. The bowl is stable and should last for hundreds of years and improve gracefully with age.

 

 

 

All my bowls are can be returned for a full refund if you are unsatisfied for any reason within 60 days. You must only pay the return shipping.

All of my bowls come with a laminated card with images of the bowl and burl, a complete description of the bowl and making process, and the artist's bio on the back side. There is no price on the card so it can be used if the bowl is given as a gift.