Cherry Wood's Warm Embrace: Recent Bowl Turnings

There's a profound beauty in working with wood that carries its own history. Cherry wood, with its rich, warm hues and inviting grain, is a particular favorite, and these recent bowl turnings have been a joy to bring to life. And fortunetly there's plenty of cherry to find here in Northeast Ohio. This is some of the first local wood that I obtained myself after buying a chainsaw in June 2025. I used a twice-turned method to create these, and these are the first bowls from that original batch of local cherry.

The photos reveal bowls that truly celebrate the natural character of cherry. The dominant color is a warm, golden-amber, which deepens and enriches as the light plays across the turned surfaces. The grain patterns are a prominent feature, exhibiting elegant lines that flow and curve with the bowl's form. Some areas show subtle variations in color and density, hinting at the wood's growth and, in one instance, a beautiful natural edge that adds a rustic, organic touch, preserving a piece of the tree's original profile.

These bowls were finished with four coats of Sutherland Welles' Polymerized Tung Oil. The shapes are elegantly rounded, with graceful curves that transition from a slightly wider opening to a stable base. The detail on the bottom of one bowl, showing a turned foot, finished them off nicely in my opinion.

Cherry wood has a unique way of aging, often deepening in color over time, which means these bowls will only become more characterful as they are used and admired. It's a privilege to work with a material that offers such a warm aesthetic and reveals so much of its story through its grain.