"Those who leave their own footprints, do not follow those left by others."

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I am odie, The 74 year old eccentric old guy! What you see here is my passion in life. I give it my passion......and that makes possible a life worth living for an old eccentric guy like me! I've had many pursuits in my "rocky road" of a life, but making artistic lathe turned bowls has been my total focus for the past 41 years! I must be nuts! It's not about money.....I am doing this for reasons that many might not understand......it's all about my personal quest to create art, combined with exceptional craftsmanship.....the very best I can produce, before I check out of this world! Note: If you're looking for a simple inexpensive wooden bowl, there are plenty on Etsy, and I can't/won't compete with them. That said, you may be surprised to know that the time and effort I put into my bowls means I'm among the lowest paid artisans here, even though my bowls appear to be more expensive! That's the price I pay to pursue my own standards of excellence, not to mention my life long dreams to pursue my artistic ambitions are a huge part of this effort! It's my desire to provide what only a very few distinguished connoisseurs and art collectors are looking for, and I have a personal commitment to deliver exactly that! :)

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"Best friends know what a dingbat you are.....and, still choose to be seen with you in public!"
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IMPORTANT SHIPPING NOTE: To insure your complete satisfaction in the shipping and delivery process, I use the more expensive premium postal services of USPS priority mail with insurance, tracking, and signature delivery. Only the best will do......for you and me both!

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The Mad Hatter: "Have I gone mad?"
Alice: "Yes, I'm afraid so, but I'll tell you a secret.....all the best people are!"
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I search far and wide to find the most interesting, and highly figured wood blocks to use for my turned bowls. It's not about size.....It's all about the end results.....the aesthetic, or artistic aspects of wood grain, or figuring are the MOST important things to me. Some of these wood blocks, I have paid more than $450 just for the wood alone! I ALWAYS look for the best of the best, of what is available from dealers in the very finest of exotic and domestic woods. These "best of the best" woods ALWAYS cost me more, but the final results are the object of this quest.....not trying to save money. Do not look for mediocre turnings from "the eccentric old guy".......look for the very best aesthetic pieces of wood, expertly turned to difficult advanced shapes.....resulting in art gallery quality works that will enhance your interior decorating theme in the home and parlor.

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“With imagination you may discover a dream.”.....Man of La Mancha
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Bowl turning has a unique ability to combine an artistic sense of form with a craftsman's expert use of hand tools.......very much in the same manner that traditional artists express their creative instincts when mixing color on their palette, and then applying brush to canvas. It is indeed a combination of spiritual effort and worldly skills. In addition to these things, there is the tremendous aesthetic appeal of unique and naturally beautiful woods. Mother Nature makes each and every one of my bowls a unique one-of-a-kind creation!

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"Logic will get you from A to B.....and, imagination will take you everywhere!"
.....Albert Einstein
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VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS:
Since I select highly figured and desirable timber, and raw unseasoned blocks of wood come to me in their natural state, the future purchaser absolutely MUST be aware that many of them have natural flaws. These include voids, bark inclusions, minor hairline checking, knots, worm holes, discoloration, deterioration/rot, stress cracks, seasoning/drying shrinkage voids and separations, mineral stains, fire burns, unusual growths, sand, dirt, rocks, nails, and all kinds of other foreign objects. Some bowls have epoxy repairs to fill voids and strengthen cracks. I do not consider these naturally occurring things to be flaws in the finished bowl, as long as the structural stability is maintained. To the contrary, I consider them to be points of interest, indications of an individual tree's history, character..... and gifts from Mother Nature!

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“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter.....and those who matter, don't mind.”
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I'm a big fan of the perfect natural beauty of wood.....and this is why my bowls are finished with a natural Danish Oil finish, along with a hard Carnauba wax final protective surface. Once in the purchaser's possession, these bowls can be preserved with any of the locally available furniture polishes one would use to maintain the fine wooden furniture in their home.

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"The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why.".....Mark Twain
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Wow! If you've read all of this, you are a rare person, indeed! I just want to thank you for taking the time to find out what I've got to say......and, I want you to know that I've meant every word of it! Whether or not you decide to purchase one of my gallery bowls, I wish you well in your search for what you're looking for on Etsy......and have a wonderful day! :)

Sincerely,
odie, the eccentric old guy!

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Additional personal information is available on my profile page.
Please click on the following link to view it:
https://www.etsy.com/people/hogship?ref=owner_profile_leftnav