A Bowl's Journey

Want to see what hubby does for fun? He takes things like this -  
an elder tree in Rachel and John's front yard that was dying and had to come down,
  
and through a process that involves sharp knives and large lathes,
  
hours of rough cutting and turning,

  

shaping, sanding and polishing,
 
achieves something that looks like this -
(click any image to enlarge. It's worth it.)

The man's a d*mn genius with wood.

He removed most of the bark from this piece of burl, 
 
carved out the interior so it would hold a bowl, 
 
ground up turquoise and added it to several inclusions and cracks, 
 

while leaving the natural red from the tree sap and highlighting the natural grain of the wood.

 

And then he goes and gives it all away. So now you know what Travis' mommy got for her birthday. Happy b-day, Breanne!