some of the bowls I made this year |
Below is a picture of that bowl, along with the other half of the log that it came from.
I have sold a number of these bowls at a local craft gallery and branded them as "Green Nut Bowls". This is a play on words since these are typically used as nut bowls and they are made by me, a "green nut" - because they were made entirely using solar power. I harvested the trees using my cordless and corded electric chain saws that derive their power from my solar power system. And since my home and workshop are solar powered my lathe is also powered by renewable energy.
turning a small bowl (chainsaws in the background) |
Recently, some of my Bed & Breakfast guests have seen the bowls and asked me to make one for them and I was able to make one right in front of them since a small bowl only takes 30 to 40 minutes to turn. I charge $7.00 per inch diameter, so a 5" bowl goes for $35.00. I use the bowls I have made daily and the people that I have made them for tell me that they cherish them.
From a sustainability perspective, I feel that I am making optimal use of a local resource in much the same way as Native Americans would have. In the process of making each bowl, I consciously honor the life of the tree and give thanks for the gift of its wood.
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