Wood eye? You bet eye wood!

Last weekend I got to know a friend of a friend, Barbara.  While we were at the local farmers market, she told me that her husband, Roger Ross, is a woodworker and makes wooden bowls, and after the market she invited me over to see some of his creations. Talk about impressed – this man is talented! 

He takes a slice of a tree sometimes the diameter of the trunk, or other pieces of varying sizes, species, and shapes, and using a wood lathe and the plethora of tools in his shop spends hours creating these perfectly round bowls, in varying sizes and colors, often integrating pieces of turquoise into the cracks in the wood or etching designs on the finished product. Etched into the bottom of the bowl is the type of tree it came from and the year he made it.

Often the bowls are so finely shaped that they are thin enough for the light to shine through. Take a look at this bowl, for example.

It’s big, heavy, and beautiful, made of Norfolk pine, and the details seem to jump out after Roger’s shaping and polishing. But what I didn’t expect was what I saw when I looked inside. The midday sun was shining brightly into the room, and this is what I saw from the inside of the bowl looking out, through the lens of my iPhone.

I can picture his bowls on display in a gallery, and on the wall behind the display hang photos like this. Do you think people would connect that what looks like abstract modern art is actually backlit Norfolk pine?

Roger says he enjoys having people that are interested in this type of art form come by so they can see his bowls up close and personal.  If you happen to be on Kauai, or are planning a visit, give him a call at 808-482-4146.

I think Mother Nature and Roger are just amazing!