Walnut Simple Bowl

Sometimes, it's just a bowl

I usually like each piece to have a distinct style or feature. But once in a while, I remind myself that sometimes, a piece can be simple and even ordinary, and that can be enough.

When I found this piece of wood, I wanted to take advantage of the grain and color in the heartwood and the curved transition of the sapwood. I cut the piece into a round on the bandsaw, and drilled a hole for my worm screw so the sapwood would end up on the top half of the bowl.

I used my typical method for this, which is to chuck it up on a worm screw, turn and finish the outside with a mortise in the bottom. I then chuck up the mortise, and turn and finish the inside of the bowl.

Since this would be a slightly smaller bowl (4.75" x 1.75"), I wanted it to have an open and accessible style. To that end, I flared the top lip outward subtly, and instead of making the rim of the bowl flat, I rounded over the inside edge of the rim.

I think the simplicity in form encourages us to focus on the natural beauty of the wood.