A hollow form with natural edge opening. Elm burl with wedge pewa repairing some natural cracks. I think the burl figure looks like waves crashing over the opening. About 5″ tall and 4.5″ diameter.
I’ve been a hobbyist woodturner for over three decades. My passion lies in crafting both functional and aesthetically pleasing pieces. Each visit to my workshop is dedicated to both creating and advancing my skills.
Wood is more than just a material to me; it’s a canvas of nature’s artistry. I strive to enhance the inherent beauty of wood by working in harmony with Mother Nature. Sometimes, my creations even involve collaboration with natural elements like insects or fungi, resulting in layered and captivating works of art.
A significant portion of my work starts with rescued wood, salvaged from trees removed from yards to prevent them from ending up in landfills.
I have the privilege of being able to turn wood in my shop and studio in the beautiful town of Estes Park, Colorado.
My signature piece is something I call simply “Sliced Hollow Forms”. These are hollow vessels that I’ve sliced apart and reassembled with Pewa (butterfly patches).
Pewa (pronounced peh-vah, meaning fish tail) is the Hawaiian term for butterfly patches. I use this term because I learned the process of patching cracks from a couple of wood turners from Hawaii.
I do demonstrations and classes for woodturning clubs and symposiums, and also offer Interactive Remote Demonstration (IRD) via Zoom.
Amid the challenges of lockdowns in 2020, drawing upon my background as a software engineer, I seized the opportunity to adapt. Utilizing makeshift equipment, I conducted my first Interactive Remote Demo, and have subsequently delivered numerous sessions to clubs around the world..
Teaching and demonstrating are not just acts of sharing knowledge—they’re avenues for personal growth. Teaching is a reciprocal process, where I learn as much as I impart. Through contributions to the woodturning community, I find fulfillment in giving back to a community that has enriched my own journey.
Gallery
These are examples of some of my work. It is not a “product catalog”, and sometimes not very up to date. Many of these pieces are sold or unavailable. If there’s something that interests you, contact me at dave@dlwoodturning.com and we can see if the piece is available or if I have something similar that you’d like.
Slender Red Goblet
Goblet from maple burl with dyed maple stem. Goblet has 2 layers of dye (black/red). About 9.75″ tall, the bowl is 2.5″ diameter.
Cherry Burl Goblet
Natural edge goblet from Wormy Cherry burl with African Blackwood stem. About 9″ tall, the bowl is 3″ diameter.
Rho
Rocket box ρ (Rho – #17 in the series). About 10.25″tall. Maple burl with 3 layers of dye (black to blue). African Blackwood fins and finials. Magnetically attached nose cone (lid).
250
Hot Air BalloonFloating on magnetsAbout 6″X4″
Radio Flyer
Rocket Box π (#16) The retro style of the red rocket invokes memories of the classic red wagon, the Radio Flyer. My Radio Flyer was not just a wagon, but a race car, a pirate ship, a submarine, or a spacecraft. This 10″ tall rocket is from Big Leaf Maple burl, dyed with black and […]
Omicron
Number 15 in the Rocket Box series. Maple burl with 4 layers of dye (black and 2 blues, each sanded back, then yellow). Dyed maple legs and finials. About 10-3/4″ tall.
Buffalo Bowl
Bowl from an Elm burl cap, with natural burl surface and three feet from Brazilian ebony. About 3-3.4″ high, 8″ wide, 9″ long. The bowl is 4-1/4″ diameter and 1-1/2″ deep. This could be a “charcuterie bowl” (crackers in the bowl, cheeses on the platter)? Or maybe just a display piece. The last picture hopefully […]