Spalted Aspen Burl Bowl (19WS15) SOLD

This bowl was turned from an aspen burl that I purchased from a logger in the UP of Michigan, near the south shore of Lake Superior. A view of the entire trimmed burl mounted on the lathe is shown above. Aspen burls are my favorite to turn. They are always challenging with lots of issues like soft decayed areas, cracking along grain lines, worms, and soft areas just under the bark. They are also rare. Very few people turn aspen burls for these reasons, but the end result is always spectacular. This bowl has great colors, spalting patterns, swirling grain lines, worm holes (filled), and thick bark. The dark lines that follow the grain, and often cross the grain, show unusual contrast to the lighter golden colored wood. All of the soft areas and open grain lines in this bowl are stabilized with thin CA resin. This bowl also shows a lot of curly flame figuring, called chatoyance. The colors in this bowl include red, yellow, gold, black and overtones of green. The bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from green wood, dried for several months, and sanded to 600 grit. All bowls that are turned green will warp as they dry. I love the look this natural process gives to a bowl. 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 and display food. This bowl should last for hundreds of years and improve gracefully with age. This is a collector’s piece and a great example of an aspen burl bowl. Imagine how this would look on a wood table or on a shelf. It would certainly stimulate lots of conversation.

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.