I’m still taking pictures of boards I made months ago and getting them on my website. Here’s one just behind my house. I’m putting finish on some bowls today, and carving others. I should have some pictures to share next week! (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPau4uYjr_X/?utm_medium=tumblr

Im please to have an article I wrote on making a turned, carved and painted bowl in the summer issue of @woodcarvingillustrated Thanks to my coworkers who bravely abandoned their posts to help me with the photos- @kristeneganart @snicodemus.art @emilayyyyyy3 and ben. Take a looksy! I used @realmilkpaintco paint for the bowl. You can also get 10% off items on their website with coupon code “LuLu22” (at Goggleworks Center for the Arts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPYMIi5DmAt/?utm_medium=tumblr

I took this walnut cooking spoon with me on a walk up the creek to check out the swimmin hole. The creek is lower than I think I’ve ever seen it. Hopefully we get some rain this week. This spoon is available on my website. Link in bio (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPQaCRMjo9w/?utm_medium=tumblr

I made a bunch of cocktail muddlers today. It was something I’d put off for awhile and I had accumulated a lot of little odd pieces of wood that really only could serve this function. After I turned them to this point, I wet them down to raise the grain then remount them on the lathe once they are dry, sand and part them off before applying finish. (at Goggleworks Center for the Arts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPG-xCbD58H/?utm_medium=tumblr

I made this long scimitar style knife a while back. I’ve delayed doing much forging as I try to build a special 2x72 grinder for shaping blades. It’s taking forever, but I’m hoping to pull it together in June and get back to making more knives. (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPDjYt2DNk1/?utm_medium=tumblr

Here’s a bigger cutting board from my last batch. It’s time to start some more, but I have a few things to do first. Today I’m working on a live edge coffee table. It’s been awhile since I worked on furniture, so it will be a nice change (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPA9rG3Dyo2/?utm_medium=tumblr

This beech spoon is baked and then milk painted. These cherry trees are in bloom at my neighbors where they line the road. Last year they seemed lost behind invasive trees of heaven which were sickly and covered in lantern flies. They cut them down and the cherry blossoms look better than ever. (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/COkqCKbjcED/?igshid=1oxfgzx6xcdj5

An old student asked me to make him a few cutting boards or trays from a tree he cut down on his property. I generally prefer to supply my own material, but this cedar was special so I worked around the cracks and knots. I made a couple in different styles, but these two photographed best. I have some similar pieces in walnut in my website if you’re interested (at Goggleworks Center for the Arts) https://www.instagram.com/p/COiDpifDXWZ/?igshid=megjnjiq9xne

Yesterday was a good day! I cut down the butternut tree that lost its top in a storm last July. I also made a friend, Baby Henryk! I made him a lil spoon which he’s not quite ready to use but seems to enjoy gumming. The butternut should provide a few dozen bowls and many more spoons. (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/COc6r4gDYXH/?igshid=v827c9o6tofh

It’s a little hard to see the scale of this spoon, but the bowl is a big 2.5x3 inches. This cherry has been a pleasure to carve and turn. Some of the log has bit of rot, so as I maneuver around that to find bowls, I have lots of offcuts for spoons. (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/COQC99cj8H5/?igshid=1764xr87evgma

This ebonized cherry bowl is great size for salads. My arugula and spinach is starting to come in strong now, and I’m looking forward to oversized salads, especially for work lunches. This bowl is on the website (at Appalachian Trail: Hawk Mountain to PA 309) https://www.instagram.com/p/CONe-9NDB43/?igshid=wsg32a8t0fsu

This is a nice little cutting board for your daily kitchen tasks. It’s a good size too for serving appetizers and snacks to your friends as you get back to socializing! (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/COK5I_MjCP5/?igshid=z6rokvmsi95t

This is just a little pepper mill. I nearly abandoned it when I discovered a big knot in the middle of the blank as I was roughing it out. I’m glad I didn’t, and was able to shorten the mill and salvage this nice piece of birch. (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/COAm_9zjP9y/?igshid=10cjhbt2x972b

The sapwood in this black cherry was starting to break down to the point where it will soon be too soft to carve. Cherry heartwood will stay solid for a long time after its cut, but because this tree was rather small there won’t be enough to get any useable material from it soon. In the meantime, the sapwood has taken on some interesting characteristics. (at Appalachian Trail: Hawk Mountain to PA 309) https://www.instagram.com/p/CN44-2SjyzB/?igshid=1849sczsluk5f

I turned some of this fresh cherry I got from a neighbor. I’m making some boxes or lidded containers for kitchen items like sugar or tea. Sometimes if it’s been awhile since I’ve turned it I’m struggling to find motivation I’ll fin d an excuse to turn some green wood like this. The long ribbons of wood, the smell and the sound always seem to get me charged up! (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CN2Te6xjb8Q/?igshid=71y9vz6qvloy

I made this pepper mill from a bit of maple my friend saved for me from when he used to work at the local sawmill. This piece has some great curly figure and a bit of spalting. It was destined to be burned. I’m glad I was able to use it! (at Kempton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNm4E_OjJ4a/?igshid=f7hcutdbxljz

I’ve finished turning the last of this spalted birch. Im excited to get to work on some cherry I just picked up, but I have some applewood that I’ve had sitting around for too long, and there’s a butternut tree that fell on the hill that I’m eager to get at too! Lots to work with, too little time and too little house to store it all! (at Goggleworks Center for the Arts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNZ-MD0D8sL/?igshid=lrlcfj5h6ooj