Utilitarian Art In Wood
The head gnome has retired and moved on to a different environment where he will pursue new challanges. Our hope here at the Spectrum Wood workshop is that he will not recruit current staff for his new adventures. We all wish him well.
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The 2022 art show appearances have been completed.
Check once in awhile to see where Spectrum Wood will be appearing in 2023
The gnomes were busy during the COVID pandemic months of 2020-2021 creating new items. Below are some of the items. Move the mouse over an image, right click and select "Open Image in New Tab" then left-click on the new tab appearing at the top of the page to see a larger image of the item.
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The above item(s) is a drip spoon holder. The image on the right is one of the drip spoon holders at work adding eloquence to the cooking area of the kitchen.
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The first of the above items is a group of breakfast cereal bowls. The style is known as segmented bowl. The next item is a serving tray. The third item is a small segmented bowl with a satin finish. The last bowl is a segmented bowl quite large that is made from the box elder tree. This bowl highlights the red portion of the interior of the tree that is characteristic of the box elder tree.
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The above items are seqmented yarn bowls. The bowls are used by knitters to hold their ball of yarn and dispense the yarn out the "pig tail" so it does not get tangled up as it is used. You may note the second hole near the bottom of the bowls, that is to dispense a second yarn for those knitters who knit with two yarns at one time.
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Now for something completly different. The gnomes like to make some other items that may not fit into a category and so it is with the above items. The first is a trivet they call the "bean soup" it is another in the bean soup series of trivets. The next two items are more travel mugs, some more of the cosmic variety, but others with a colored pattern on the side, this time that of climbing ivy. And something never done before, that of lamp or fan pulls. These pulls are made to replace the small plastic pulls one gets when a new ceiling fan is purchased. A little more stylish than the plastic pulls. The gnomes also thank a customer who shared a family treasure, that of the parquet puzzle. Though not very difficult, there are many ways the puzzle may be put together, all being a correct solution. And last is the box illusion trivet favored by the gnomes. It may not look flat but it is.
The gnomes were busy during the winter and spring months of 2019-2020 creating new items. Below are some of the items. Move the mouse over the image, right click and select "Open Image in New Tab" then left-click on the new tab to see a larger image of the item.
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The gnomes were busy during the long winter months of 2019 creating new items. Below are some of the items that have been completed and were at 2019 Art Shows.
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The gnomes were busy during the long winter months of 2018 creating new items. Below are some of the items that were completed.
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From time to time the workshop gnomes are asked to create unique items for special occasions, events or for private use. Some of the items are sold to the person making the request, other items are gifts to commorate a special event or occasion. Click the following to see what items the gnomes have created over the years.
Trivets
Bean Soup Trivet
Trivets come in all sizes, shapes and designs. Through the years a variety of trivets have been constructed. From the geometric trivets there have been many scraps in the form of triangles left when the trivet is complete. The scraps have been collected in a container and set aside. The gnomes thought maybe we can construct a trivet from the triangular scraps. And from that arose the trivet you see above. About the same time appearing in the kitchen was a pot stewing that contained many types of beans that would eventually become bean soup. The colors of the bean soup and the colors of the scrap trivet closely resembled one another, thus the trivet name Bean Soup. The gnomes have been told that this particular trivet may go on tour, but will always reside at home. So it is, we have to say, "Look but don't touch".
To see the variety of trivets created over the years in the Spectrum Wood workshop, click on one of the following:
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Now for something completely different
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Redbud Tree Natural Edge Bowl
This bowl comes from redbud tree. It was turned from the crotch the intersection where a branch leaves the trunk of the tree. Many times water will get between the branch and the tree and rot out that area. This did not happen in this tree. The result is a beautiful bowl with lots of interesting character in the exposed grain.
This bowl was one of many items from members of the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild that were on display at the Ruthvan Gallery in the Cincinnati Museum Center through March 31, 2013.
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Apple Tree Natural Edge Bowl
This bowl comes from an apple tree. It was turned from the crotch (where a branch leaves the trunk) of the tree. Many times water will get between the branch and the tree and rot out that area. This did not happen in this tree. The result is a beautiful bowl with lots of interesting character in the exposed grain.
This bowl was one of many items from members of the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild that were on display at the Oxford (Ohio) Community Art Center from March 8, 2013 through April 8, 2013.
Now on to other round things like bowls and platters. And the burning question is, "When does a bowl become a platter?"
Round Things
Woodworking has been a hobby most of my life. Now that I am retired it has become more of an avocation. There is more time to be spent in the shop, more time devoted to putting ideas to wood, more time to learn and perfect new techniques of working with wood.
Through the generosity of friends and neighbors, the cost of wood is kept reasonable. I have let it be known that if someone cuts down a tree or does significant pruning of a tree that I would be interested in looking at the wood and possibly taking it to be seasoned and made into some object. This year I have obtained walnut, hickory, maple, red bud, pear, apple, box elder and cherry logs that have been turned into bowls, candle holders, rolling pins, dry measure scoops, puzzles and other items that will be added to these pages.
Using a variety of wood species and geometry, I have created many items that can be used as trivets or wall hangings, it is your choice. Either choice displays the beauty of the wood and the symmetry of mathematics. I design and handcraft all the items using a combination of machine and hand tools. All items are finished to bring out the beauty of the wood that is protected with several coats of polyurethane.
My favorite woods are maple, walnut and cherry. As other wood species become available I incorporate them into the trivets and turnings. Other wood species might include purpleheart, holly, aspen, oak, cocobolo and bocote.
Ideas for other objects come from travel, magazines, readings, the internet and often nature. This is an image, in wood, of the Head Gnome of the workshop. He keeps all activities under control, making sure objects are created, common sense is used while using the power tools and keeping the shop running. This is an example of intarsia, or an image made from various species of wood to create a picture. The woods used to create this intarsia are purple heart, walnut, maple, holly, cherry, blood wood, yellow heart and pear.
Perhaps you would like to purchase an item like those pictured? Please contact Spectrum Wood directly using the link below where many creative wood items may be purchased when available.
In the Cincinnati, Ohio area, Spectrum Wood will be participating in Art Shows. If you were unable to attend any of the shows in the past, maybe time will be available in 2023.
Check here in early Spring of 2023 to see what Art Shows Spectrum Wood will be participating in during the summer and fall of 2023.
Perhaps you would like to send an email to the head gnome. All inquiries are welcome.
If you would like to purchase an item like those pictured? Please contact Spectrum Wood directly using the link below to make an inquiry.
Or if that did not work, enter the following into your email To: line.
spectrumwood@gmail.com
Click on the Spectrum Wood Catalog button to see and read about other items produced by the gnomes in the Spectrum Wood workshop.
Click on the Favorite Websites button to see and read about other websites of interest to the Spectrum Wood workshop.
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Utilitarian Art In Wood
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