redwood

while visiting at his place in the Lost Coast area of Northern California Jpseph let me use his band saw one day. he gave me a piece of rough milled redwood. he told me it was from the branch. the rings are close together, which makes for better carving and a stronger spoon. i worked around the knots and cracks in the wood and got a few good blanks out of it.

this one is the first i have finished of these blanks and it seems appropriate that it go as a gift to the one who gave me the wood. it has a subtle influence from Northwest Native formline art. it also has some characteristics of Joseph himself; being short and wide, having a large bowl that suggests generosity, with it's age and type of wood speaking of wisdom and strength, and gracefully curving lines having a humble beauty. the triangle at the end of the handle connects with Joseph's love for carpentry.