Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour - You Are Invited

 

Cool crisp days, brilliant sunshine and the splendor of autumn leaves.  It is the perfect weekend to explore the dramatic back roads of Muskoka and visit artists in their studios.  Brian works alone at his lathe all year and he loves the opporturnity to interact with people and show them the bowls, platters and tables that he has created.

 

 

We welcome you into the workshop where you can see the raw burls, the slabs of wood and understand the process involved in turning them into platters and bowls.  The crowds form around Brian's lathe and there is time for discussion and a demonstration of his craft.



 

Limberlost Woodturning is on Fieldale Road, north-east of Huntsville on beautiful Rebecca Lake.  Plan your weekend to see some of the 20 artists who are opening their studios to the public.  For more information go to:

www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com 

Burl and Wrought Iron Furniture

 

Bigleaf maple burl table with a wrought iron base

 

Brian specializes in turning bowls and platters on his lathe, but has recently completed some magnificent maple burl coffee tables. 

 

 



Last winter Brian made burl tables for our home, and a previous post about them on our blog,  Maple Burl and Wrought Iron Tables, led to a commission for a couple who have a cottage on Lake of Bays.  They chose the perfect piece of wood for their table from a slab of a maple tree that was covered in burls.  

 

Once again Brian worked with Matt Church, an artist and blacksmith, at The Artisan's Gallery , to make the  base for this table and three others, each with their own distinctive grain, colouring and details.

Matt Church designed the bases from wrought iron to fit and complement the unique shape of the table tops.  As the tables are maple, Matt formed the legs to appear as branches and twigs with interlaced maple leaves.

Brian shaped each table top, maintaining the raw edge, as he sanded and buffed the tops to a fine finish.

Multiple layers of urethane were rolled onto the table tops.  They were allowed to dry and then sanded between coats until there was a lustrous hard surface.

 

With each coat and the final polish, the contrasts in colour and grain were revealed and enhanced.  This table is made from a cross section of a huge bigleaf maple burl. The lighter sapwood and bark edge encircle the inner, darker heartwood centre, creating a rare and highly-prized effect.

 

Once the table tops were complete, Brian positioned the bases on the wood and screwed them into place.

Red maple table with a wrought iron base

The choice of Matt Church's wrought iron bases with their maple leaf motif was a perfect match to the finished table top.

Bigleaf maple burl table

Close-up photos of the tables detail the beauty of the burls with their irregular grain, bark inclusions and rich contrasts of colour.  These tables would be a splendid addition to any home.



Red maple table with a burl live edge

Artisan's Gallery wrought iron leaf



We are only a few days from the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour and it will be a wonderful opportunity to travel along the beautiful Muskoka roads with their colourful leaves and awesome scenery. You are welcome to visit Limberlost Woodturning on the last two weekends of September from 10:00-6:00. For more information, go to:

 

 www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com

 

 

Maple burl tables with wrought iron bases

 

300 Burls

Every so often luck comes your way and in this case, it was in the form of a phone call from a man who works in a lumber mill.  Burls are cut off when preparing trees to be sawed into boards at a mill.  Often burls are discarded or burned but fortunately they were set aside until the pile became unmanageable.

Burls are the irregular growths that occur spontaneously on the sides of trees when exposed to trauma, insects or stress.  Most people would think of them as ugly and unwanted parts of the tree but to Brian, they hold the mystery of the forest, just waiting to be discovered on the lathe.  Brian bought the whole load of 300 seasoned burls and has started to turn a few of them.

The burls came in all shapes and sizes and were primarily yellow birch and maple from the Muskoka area.  Brian sorted through the pile, found a dry spot to store them and chose a few to begin to turn on the lathe.  The Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour is two weeks away so he wanted to have a few ready for sale.

Yellow Birch and Maple Burl Bowls

 

The unique characteristics of each burl determine the shape, colour and grain of each bowl.  Brian loves the challenge of finding the extraordinary within the discarded piece of wood, allowing the inner beauty of each bowl to be revealed.

 

Limberlost Woodturning is open for the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour on September 22, 23 and 29, 30 from 10:00 am  to 6:00 pm and we would love to see you. For more information, go to:

 

www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com



 

Maple Burl Bowl with a Live Edge

 



The Perfect Wedding Gift

Brian had a visit this week from a couple who have recently purchased a cottage in the Limberlost area.  Already they have developed a love for Muskoka forests, lakes and the restorative effects of cottage living.  Markus and Ann were about to attend the wedding of his brother who lives in British Columbia and they wanted to give a gift that was distinctive, organic and artistic.

 



They were immediately drawn to the maple burl bowls and fascinated by the irregular shapes, raw, bark edges and the food-safe smooth finish.  This unique creation from Muskoka, with the warmth and beauty of the forest, is the perfect wedding gift.