Colorful Black Walnut Bark Edged Bowl (25WS10)

This bowl was turned from a fresh cut black walnut log that came from a tree in Wayzata Minnesota. The tree was taken down because it was too close to a house. The log was about 12” in diameter and mostly straight grained. The shape of the bowl comes from the natural curvature of the log. The bowl is round although it appears to be oval. This optical illusion is due to the height difference of the sides. The bark is jagged, dark brown in color, and shows good contrast to the lighter cambium layer of the tree. The wood has rich colors of brown to purple. Black walnut trees that grow in mineral rich soil are often very colorful with reds and purples, just like seen in this wood. The nutrients taken up by the tree probably contained some colorful silica minerals. It is difficult to photograph black walnut bowls due to the dark colors and the reflections from light. The bowl has a complete bark edge, so it nicely shows the complete beauty of black walnut wood. All bowls that are turned green will warp as they dry. This is usually minor and adds to the beauty of the bowl. I also returned the lower part of the bowl after drying to remove the minor warping, so the bowl sits squarely. This bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from green wood and sanded to 400 grit. I do not usually sand to this fine a grit but black walnut wood really shows sanding marks, especially across the grain. I also carefully hand sand along the gain lines before and after finishing. The bowl was sealed with two coats of pure tung oil (Real Milk Paint Co.). 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.