Thursday, November 16, 2006

I love my son's new hobby!

Remember my hickory tree?
On September 23rd, of this year we had our first storm and found that a great big hickory tree had uprooted and fallen onto the creek bank in our back yard. Since we were expecting company and it wasn’t in the way, we left it alone...it was also raining and the creek was swollen. Then when the next storm destroyed our ash tree and other trees near the creek, we cleaned up the mess, and sawed up the wood for firewood. We gave the wood to our son, Brian…

And today, this is what I received.
The bowl isn't crooked...I just take crooked pictures.
The hickory bowl even came with some history, despite being very new. Besides being an old tree from our own back yard, Brian counted the rings and showed me the year he was born…Isn’t that something? I was truly fascinated.

Although Brian is only a beginner with his new hobby, he shows lots of promise and is very talented. He only discovered his carving talents during a Boy Scout camp-out with Brandon this summer while carving out some walking canes for the boys. That led to making a lighthouse & a small wooden bowl for Reva’s birthday, on his never used wood lathe…the wood lathe was a Christmas present to Brian from Reva about 10 years ago and I think he looked it over and attempted to make a candle holder, but I can’t be sure.
This is a picture of Reva’s lighthouse and small cedar bowl. Reva is nuts about lighthouses.



The larger bowl, as I’ve told you is made of hickory and measures 11 inches in diameter and is 4 inches deep.
The small bowl is made from the heart of red cedar and measures 7 inches in diameter and is 3 inches deep. The cedar bowl was Brian’s gift to me on my birthday. The bowls haven’t been finished with anything…he’s still thinking about how to finish them, with either olive oil or maybe a clear-coat finish for non-food bowls.


I just love my bowls and they mean so much more to me just because they were made by my son, Brian. I will cherish them always.
And now you know why I love my son’s new hobby.

I can see a rolling pin in my future, to go with my beautiful wooden bowls. (hint hint)

17 comments:

Kerri said...

These bowls are beautiful Sandy! What a great new hobby Brian has! He's done a wonderful job with all these projects.
My hubby enjoys woodworking too. He's currently working on a set of shelves to stand beside my computer desk. I can't wait till it's finished. Maybe one day he'll make me a nice bowl like yours!

Susan Tidwell said...

It's so good to see the kids learning traditional hobbies, woodworking has so many applications, I can see him using and enjoying this for a long time. And you, too!

Anonymous said...

priceless.
Wow what awesome work.
You, my sister and now my brother are gifted(very gifted) in the areas of drawing and carvings ect..
I guess I took after dad.

I love the fact that he counted and showed you his birthday year. Thats another awesome thing about that beautiful bowl.

Motherkitty said...

Very beautiful bowls. You know how much I love anything made from wood. Please tell Brian how much I enjoy seeing the fruits of his labor and to keep at it. I just watched a show on public TV about this very subject and watched a master make fancy bowls with some of the bark still on the rim of the bowl.

(I think if you were going to oil these bowls, you have to use something like a mineral oil that won't get rancid. Olive oil may do that.) Can't wait to see your rolling pin. I love that French rolling pin I purchased in Berea and have used it several times already.

Thanks for sharing these lovely photos of these gorgeous bowls. That old wood really came in handy, didn't it.

Anonymous said...

Oh my I am glad he went on that camping trip and found his hidden talent. They are wonderful and I am sure you are one proud mom.....

TJ said...

Wow...he should work up some more and take them to the craft shows...do you know how much a bowl like that would bring...cha-ching!!!
:-D

Susie said...

What a lovely handmade gift! The grains of the wood are just gorgeous! Brian is very talented..
:)

Anonymous said...

Those bowls are beautiful.
My husband makes pens from wood. He has spoken several times of learning to make bowls, but he hasn't even finished setting up his shop since we moved!
I will have to show him your blog tonight so that he can oohhhh and ahhh over your son's handywork. Maybe that will motivate him to get back to creating.
God bless.
Terri

Angie said...

Oh wow, those bowls are beautiful!! And such a treasure as your son made them...how cool is that!!! Do you make bread and use the larger of the 2 for your dough? :) That's one of the things I would like them for. :) And a rolling pin...yes, keep HINTING LOUDLY!!! LOL

Anonymous said...

Absolutly beautifyl! Wonderful workmanship. It's hard to believe he just started his hobby. What perfect treasures!

LZ Blogger said...

Sandy ~ Loved the wooden bowls! ~ jb///

Rachel said...

OH MY GOSH, they are beautiful!!! I love them both!!! I hope he continues in his new hobby!!

Carole Burant said...

Oh Sandy, the bowls are absolutely beautiful...Brian certainly has a God given talent for carving!! Wow!! I thought it was so special that he was able to show you the line from the year he was born. What a treasure...Brian and the bowls!! :-)

Anonymous said...

Wow, Brian sure is talented! The bowls are stunning and from what I've heard, its not easy getting them so perfectly round.

HORIZON said...

Oh you are a lucky lady indeed! What l would give to have a hickory bowl like that! wow
Keep going Brian!!

R.Powers said...

Those are beautiful!

Alipurr said...

those are sooo beautiful. I saw the cedar one in person, it was great. How sweet that he made you one from that hickory tree. And how wonderful it was to see that the age of the tree was the same as Brian. How cool is that?

He really is blessed with this wonderful talent. And that was quick, too. It doesn't seem that that storm was very long ago.....