Burned Bowl Process

The Shape

Burned art is usually shaped first. I use to think that the perfection of shape was not that important if the piece was being burned.

That is definitely not true because the hard wood is not removed and stays in the same shape as prior to the burn. Therefore, I learned that great detail is required prior to the burn.

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The Burn

The bowl is almost unrecognizable after the first burn.

The mount for the lathe on the back side of the bowl was protected with this cap, which I made specifically for this bowl. This protects the area from burning and therefore allows for secure fastening to the lathe chuck. It is also used to mask off the area that is not painted Jet Black, but instead left raw for contrast.

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The Contours

Here the contours are very evident due to the detailed shaping prior to the burn, even after the initial wire brushing that is shown here revealing the grain differences.

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The Color

This particular bowl is painted with Jet Black Gloss Enamel as specified by the customer, with the back mount now protected from paint.

I made sure to apply the paint lightly enough so the pores of the soft wood absorbed the solids of the paint and therefore would not shine, but heavy enough so that the hard wood, would shine. This leaves a beautiful contrast between varying woodgrains.

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The Mount Area

The protected mount area is then sanded, stained, textured in a specific ring, titled, signed and dated.

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The Finish

The bowl is then remounted on the lathe and the hollow of the top part of the bowl is cut, stained and finished. Please view the video of the completed bowl.