Inspiring Aspen Burl Bowl (23SF37)

This bowl was turned from an aspen burl that came from the Hovland, Minnesota, area. The burl was purchased from local loggers. Images of the trimmed burl (on the lathe) are shown. Aspen burls are very rare, and I am lucky to get a few each year. This burl was small, so I decided on an unusual hollow-form shape to best show the complete burl with its natural edge. The rim of the bowl has a beautiful, jagged bark edge. Aspen burls are always difficult to turn due to decay and separation of many of the grain lines. These grain lines need frequent stabilization during turning. The wood has stunning grain figuring that includes wavy dark grain lines, tight swirls, golden to brown-red colors, and contrasting light and dark areas. This bowl also contains some flame/curl figuring (chatoyance). The figuring in aspen burl is like that of banded Lake Superior agate. The shape of the bowl evolved from the shape of the burl, and my desire to bring out the beauty of the wood and maintain a complete bark edge. This hollow-form shape works well for this bowl but required some extra time to sand. The bowl was turned from fresh burl wood using handheld tools on a lathe, dried for several months, and sanded to 400 grit. Bowls turned from green wood always warp some during drying. This gives distortions that add natural charm to a bowl. I always re-turn the bottom of green turned bowls to make sure they sit nicely. The bowl was sealed with two coats of tung oil, hand sanded after each coat. This finish is considered food safe, although the bowl is best suited for artistic display. Aspen burl is rare and difficult to turn. Very few wood turners work with aspen burl. It is my favorite wood to turn because it is always unusually beautiful, and this bowl was challenging to turn and sand!

 

 

 

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.