Sustainable hobby business
Finding a cool piece of wood and turning it into bowl is a small miracle we get to re-experience on a daily basis. Central Connecticut is 80% woodland so living here provides a sustainable supply of nature's best woods.
For 27 years Albert has refined his craft to produce world class wooden art.
The first step in transforming a log into a bowl is identifying an interesting piece of wood. Perhaps a friend has found a burl in his woodpile; or a tree has been invaded by the Ambrosia beetle; or a log has began to spalt (fungus is decomposing the wood). I chainsaw the log into a workable size and bring it into my studio to be sawed into the bowl blank on the band saw. The blank is then brought to the lathe for turning. As the lathe spins the wood, I shape it with various tools called gouges, scrapers and parting tools. The size and shape of the bowl is largely chosen by the wood itself, its character and structure of the grain
After being roughed out, the bowl is dried for three months. Then the rough bowl is trued up and additional artistic detail may be added such as a burned ring. Finally it is sanded, oiled, finished and buffed with carnuba wax. After many months, the wood is a functional work of art.
Albert was born in Hartford, CT and has been residing in Marlborough, CT for the past 25 years. His artistic interests include metal sculpture, ceramics, wood turning and wood sculpture. Turning bowls remains a favorite form of stress relief.
“In my sculptures and bowls I strive for simple lines, fair curves and quiet, timeless beauty.”
- Albert D’Antonio
