Maple Burl Bowl

The story behind the bowl is always interesting.  Last fall friends dropped by with an enormous maple burl which they found in the forest of their hunt camp. It had been left behind when a fallen tree was cut up for wood.

It took a lot of muscle to get this burl off the trailer and into the workshop.  It measured 20 inches across with irregular and distinctive knobs and protuberances.



After studying the burl, Brian decided to make a bowl which was narrower at the bottom and fluted up to dramatic wings.  He needed strength and stamina as well as artistic knowledge of wood to discover the beauty within such a large burl.

 



Brian mounted the burl on the lathe and shaped the top and bottom of the burl with his gouges.  He never knows what the interior of the burl will reveal until it is exposed.  The cracks, bark inclusions and variations of colour and grain resulted in the raw beauty of this burl. 

Multiple coats of a special blend of food-safe oil were applied while on it was on the lathe and allowed to dry.  After a week, the bottom of the bowl was turned off and finished.



This unique creation began as a discarded piece of wood and with Brian's skill as a woodturner, has been transformed into a stunning maple burl bowl.  The wild and rugged landscape of the bush is visible in its smooth surface and for our friends it is a lasting reminder of their forest and camp.

Reclaimed Elm Bowls

Brian had an unusual request for a commission recently that resulted in two beautiful bowls. Jack wanted to give his grandson a special gift for his wedding that would remind him of good times at the cottage.  He brought Brian pieces of a log which had rested by the dock for over 50 years and was used to tie up the boat. 

Until he cut into the log, Brian was not sure of the species of the wood.  Pine would be common but when he started to turn the piece, it was elm.  Elm is a dying breed of tree because of Dutch Elm Disease and it is prized for its variations in colour and grain.

Brian was able to keep a raw edge on one of the bowls to accentuate the richness in colour and texture.  Jack reported that his grandson was touched by a wedding gift that would bring back happy memories of the cottage, boating and their lake.

Autumn Splendor in Muskoka



We had hundreds of people in our workshop during the Musoka Autumn Studio Tour and despite predictions of rainy, cold weather, it was a perfect fall weekend.  Our guests enjoyed seeing Brian's new bowls and platters, and had an opportunity to ask questions and watch Brian demonstrate the art of wood-turning.

Now we will enjoy our beautiful autumn with hikes in the forest, the Algonquin Park colours and the mist rising from the lake as we sit on our dock.

Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour- We Are Ready!

This weekend is the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour and we are ready!  Mother Nature has done her work and the trees are turning brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow.  It should be a perfect weekend to explore Muskoka and visit the artist studios.  September 24 and 25, 10:00 to 6:00.

http://www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com/

Take a virtual tour of Limberlost Woodturning and see Brian's skill as a woodturner.

Three Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour Artists

The Limberlost area, near Huntsville, has three artists who are opening their studios for the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour: Susan Higgins, fused glass artist; Catherine O'Mara, painter; and Brian Markham, woodturner.

You are invited to visit on September 24 and 25, 10:00 am to 6:00.







Susan Higgins will welcome you into her scenic lakeside studio.  Her colourful art glass protrays natural themes using the ancient technique of fused glass. 

Glasses are cut, composed in layers and melted together in a kiln to create inventive effects in original bowls, platters and window panels.

 This beautiful platter is called Autumn Light.

Meet Catherine O'Mara in her Limberlost Studio with its lovely garden cottage. 

Learn about the ancient medium of egg tempera.

Catherine has been working on a birch series using a Renaissance techique called Pastiglia. This creates a textured and raised effect with stunning results.  You have the sense that you can step into the forest.

Visit Limberlost Woodturning on Rebecca Lake where you can see Brian Markham creating unique wooden bowls and platters in his workshop.

Brian has been experimenting with different shapes as he follows the natural contour of the burl to reveal the variations of colour and grain within.

This is a studio where you are welcome to touch and explore the warmth and beauty of each piece.

Yellow Birch Burl Bowl

For the details of all 26 artisits on the studio tour go to:

www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com

See the Artists' at Work in their Studios

The nights have been cold and the days sunny so next week should have a magnificant display of autumn leaves for all who participate in the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour.  Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the artists' studios, and see the artistic process at work through demonstrations and displays.  See how a bowl is made as Brian turns it on the lathe.

 

York Gum Eucalyptus Burl Platter

Join us on September 24 and 25, 10:00 to 6:00 and see the many beautiful bowls and platters that Brian has created in his workshop.



Maple Burl Bowl with Live Edge

Getting Ready for the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour

Tamarind Branch Platter

Twelve days to go before we open the workshop for the "Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour".  Twenty-six diversely talented artists will give you a glimpse into their studios where raw materials are transformed into superb art pieces. Join us on September 24th and 25th for the tour.

www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com



Raw edge bowls of Russian Olive, Mulberry, Black Cherry

Brian has a large number of bowls and platters ready for the show so he has had fun making smaller raw edge bowls from unique and highly figured wood. 

He has been experimenting with Russian Olive, Mulberry and Black Cherry.



 

Figured Maple and Onyx Platter


We were finally able to obtain onyx from India after a two year wait for delivery.  These beautiful tiles have layers and bands of colour which range from cream to green to rust. 

Brian made a few new figured maple platters with an onyx centre.  Very popular and versatile, they are purchased as soon as people see them.

Brian has a week of production on the lathe before we begin the transformation from dusty workshop full of wood shavings to an open studio, ready to welcome our guests.  Lots of work ahead!

Continuous Present at The Art Space

HUNTSVILLE ART SOCIETY

CONTINUOUS PRESENT – Inspired by Gertrude Stein

"Continuous Present" is a dimension where each frame of memory is layered onto the present, making every experience unique and extended into space and time.

A burl is the tree's continuous present, the natural destuction of the linear model, chaotic and out of control.



"Continuous Chaos"
Yellow Birch Burl Bowl





Brian has entered this yellow birch burl bowl in The Art Space show from September 2nd to October 2nd.  For more information about the show:

http://www.huntsvilleartsociety.ca/continuous-present.html

Maple Burl Bowl

The creation of a special bowl begins with careful examination of a burl, the discovery of the character within, and results in the satisfaction of creating a work of art from nature.



A burl is a rounded outgrowth on the trunk of a tree that forms when the tree ungoes stress such as an injury or fungus.  Burls are prized for the beauty of their rare and highly figured grain.  This sugar maple burl was discarded by loggers in a nearby Bella Lake property as part of a forest management program.  

Brian mounted the burl on the lathe and shaped the bottom of the bowl.  A wide base and a curved lip developed as the burl rotated and Brian carved the profile with his gouge.  The wide wings were maintained and they give a graceful, elegant shape.

The orientation of the burl was then reversed and the chuck was attached to the bottom to form the inner contour of the bowl.  The inside of a burl is always a mystery until the cuts are made. This burl has outstanding colour and figuring.

Brian worked for over a week on the final finishing details of sanding, buffing, and many coats of oil, with exceptional results.  The bowl has a live edge, bark inclusions and rich variations in colour.

The Muskoka sugar maple burl from the forest lives on as a beautiful, natural work of art. 

Thank you for a Successful Tour

The Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour was full of energy, sunshine and happy customers.  Carol-Ann Michaelson and Jamie McGill, our guest artists, arrived on the Friday night with carloads of pottery and paintings.  What fun to find the perfect spot to display the art to its best advantage.  Brian and I were delighted as we made the transformation over the week from a workshop full of woodchips, sawdust and equipment to a remarkable collaborative artist's studio.

 


When customers entered the studio they broke into smiles and said it was a party. Hundreds of people visited Limberlost Woodturning over the weekend and the comments about the wood, pottery and paintings were consistently enthusiastic and positive.  Some visitors were cottagers, neighbours and friends returning to our studio, but the majority joined us for the first time. 

The atmosphere was energetic, busy, creative and enhanced by the music of Don Ablett.  Don, Carol-Ann's husband, is a singer and guitarist who is well-known for traditional blues, ragtime and contemporary folk songs. For Don, music is a pleasure and we were delighted to have him join us in the studio. 
 

Jamie told the stories of his paintings, and there was great interest in the oil and watercolour scenes of Algonquin and Georgian Bay.  His love of the north was evident as he described the experience of painting on canoe trips and en plein air.  It was a family affair with Karen McGill assisting customers and helping with sales.

There are so many people to thank....customers who support us with their postive comments and enthusiasm for the art, Jamie and Carol-Ann for joining us as guest artists, Don for sharing his musical talents and Karen for helping us in the studio.  Thanks for making it our best studio tour ever! 

www.jamiemcgill.ca

www.carolannmichaelson.ca

www.artistsofthelimberlost.ca

www.songwriters.ca/member/DonAblett

Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour-This Weekend

We are almost ready for the Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour. Brian and I have put away much of the equipment, cleared out the wood chips, vacuumed and dusted.  Now Brian's beautiful bowls, platters and vessels are ready for your visit. You will see the wood, the burls and the workshop with Brian demonstrating at his lathe.

Tomorow our guest artists' Carol-Ann Michaelson's pottery and Jamie McGill's paintings will be added to the display.

The purchase of a wooden bowl, painting or pottery has added significance when you see where it began, the craft of its creation and the artist who made your special work of art.

Limberlost Woodturning is open Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14 from 10:00 to 6:00.

http://www.artistsofthelimberlost.ca/

http://www.limberlostwoodturning.com/

http://www.carolannmichaelson.ca/

http://www.jamiemcgill.ca/

Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour

This weekend is your opportunity to explore the Limberlost area and visit twenty-one artists in eight studios.  Woodturning, painting, pottery, sculpture, jewellery, fused glass and furniture will be displayed within the working studios of the artists. 

Travel down the country roads, by the Muskoka lakes, wander through the gardens and see the artists in their creative environments. 

August 13 and 14, 10 am to 6 pm

http://www.artistsofthelimberlost.ca/open-studio-weekend.html

Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour--Guest Artist Jamie McGill

Thunderhead and Red Canoe

Next weekend, on August 13 and 14, at the Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour, Brian will host a guest artist, Jamie McGill.  Working with both water colours and oils, Jamie's paintings express his love of nature.  

The inspiration for "Thunderhead and Red Canoe" occurred last summer when Jamie was paddling on Ralph Bice Lake in Algonquin Park. 

"The western sky was getting rather dark and brooding. Above us, large towering thunderheads were climbing and billowing skywards. I had been sketching those wonderful Tom Thomson cloudscapes all weekend -- never-ending white, grey, mauve boxcars lined-up right to the horizon.  So all I needed was a few quick photos to prime me for painting back home in the studio.   This painting (in oil) is 36" x 48" -- one of the largest pieces I have done.  It really needed that kind of size to communicate the power of the towering thunderhead. Our friends canoeing with us have a red canoe - ergo the title."

  

Below Pienza

Jamie's  painted "Below Pienza" in an area just south of Siena in Italy.

I took the watercolours and found this small farm road through the fields.  The late afternoon sunlight was from my right, casting these deep shadows across the road. At the turn of the road a single cypress was silhouetted against a darkening sky. It was one of those quick plein air sketches that just worked.  This painting won an Award of Merit at the 2011 Humber Valley Art Club Juried Exhibition.

Jamie loves to exhibit to a new audience -- to share insights and stories and to get first-hand feedback from a fresh group of viewers. Painting is very much about creative expression--one that must be communicated to others.  Join us next weekend to experience the art of Jamie McGill.

www.jamiemcgill.ca

www.artistsofthelimberlost.ca

www.limberlostwoodturning.com

Black Walnut and Pottery Platter

This black walnut and pottery platter is a collaborative piece joining the art of woodturning with the pottery of Carol-Ann Michaelson.  The highly-figured black walnut is enhanced by the striking tenmoku glaze of the ceramic disk. 

Brian's most interesting platters begin with a remarkable piece of wood.  This black walnut slab was cut from the crotch of the tree where the branch grew away from the trunk. 

The contrasts of the lighter sapwood and the darker heartwood at the split give incredible character to the platter.

Brian was able to cut a couple of round platters from the black walnut slab, turning them on the lathe and giving them a lustrous, food-safe finish.  He made a shallow, round indentation in the platter, and in the centre, placed the pottery disk.

Brian also paired a birds-eye maple platter with Carol-Ann's ochre and teal shino pottery disk. The platters are beautiful to look at and display, but also functional as serving pieces in the kitchen or dining room.

 

Carol-Ann Michaelson is joining Brian as a guest artist at the Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour on August 13 and 14, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  It is your opportunity to see Carol-Ann's kiln-fired pottery which includes bowls, platters, pots and vessels.

In our workshop, during the Studio Tour, you will see the harmony created as we display the arts of woodturning and pottery.

http://www.limberlostwoodturning.com/

http://www.carolannmichaelson.ca/

http://www.artistsofthelimberlost.ca/