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 

Form Meets Function- Cheese Platters

Figured maple platter with wood fired pottery centre

Artistic collaboration with another artist can lead to some exciting new pieces.  Brian used Carol-Ann Michaelson's wood fired and tenmoku glaze pottery disks to create stunning figured maple and walnut platters.  Carol-Ann will be a guest artist at Limberlost Woodturning during the Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour on August 18 and 19.

Figured walnut platter with tenmoku glaze pottery centre



Black cherry cheese board and cedar burl bowl

Form and function meet when cheese boards are created from wood with raw bark edges, distinctive colouration, and contrasts of sapwood and heartwood. Black walnut, redwood burl and black cherry bring the warmth and grace of nature to your table. Imagine the reaction of guests when you serve your cheese and crackers on such striking platters!

Walnut, redwood burl and black cherry cheese boards

For more information on the Artists of the Limberlost Studio Tour, go to:

artistsofthelimberlost.ca

Summit Centre Exhibit: Big Leaf Maple Burl Platter

Brian has many sources of burls.  Neighbours, friends and loggers call Brian when they find a burl on their property or in the forest.  Some people commission Brian to turn their burl so that a dead tree which is lost becomes a permanent piece of art in their home or a bowl for their kitchen. 

Other burls are purchased by Brian, especially more exotic or rare burls which are found in other parts of Canada or the world.  This big leaf maple burl platter was made from a western-Canadian burl that Brian purchased from his wood supplier.  The burl was extremely large so it was cut into slabs.  Brian has made a number of platters and a table from this burl, each with their own distinctive profile and rough edge.

Big Leaf Maple Burl Platter

For more information about the Artists of the Limberlost Exhibit at the Huntsville Summit Centre until April 15:

http://www.artistsofthelimberlost.ca/press.html?

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

Camphor Burl Platters

Brian specializes in Canadian burls but he also enjoys the opportunity to work with exotic wood. This is the first time he has turned camphor burl with excellent results. Camphor is an evergreen tree, in the laurel family, found mostly in Australia and Asia. 

When Brian was turning this aromatic wood, the workshop was infused with the distinct, pungent aroma of camphor.  The scent was no longer present after the finishing process of oiling and sealing the platters so Brian saved some of the wood shavings in plastic bags so that the purchaser could experience the smell of camphor.

A lustrous wood, this burl has a deep red tint with a dark brown and golden wavy figuring.  This photo is a close-up of the rich colour and grain.

These spectacular camphor burl platters measure 13.5 and 18.5 inches. The beautiful finish accentuates the extensive figuring in this highly prized and rare burl. Whether on display, or used in presenting food, they would be a showpiece in any home.

HAS Heart Exhibition: A Broken Heart

Brian is proud that his yellow birch burl was chosen to be part of the Huntsville Art Society "Heart" exhibition, which explores through various media "heartfelt, heartbreaking and heart warming discoveries".  The show runs through February Heart Month with the opening night on Friday, February 4th from 6 pm to 8 pm at The Art Space Gallery.

A Broken Heart: Yellow Birch Burl by Brian Markham

"Just before Christmas I attended a funeral for a young man who died tragically in a fire.  I saw the family and community express profound sorrow with dignity and courage.  This heart-shaped yellow birch burl, with its flaws and imperfections, epitomizes the fragile strength and beauty of a broken heart."

For more information about the show www.huntsvilleartsociety.ca

Brian's First Burl Bowl

About twenty years ago, Brian made me this unique burl bowl and it remains one of my favourites. Burls are irregular growths that form on the side of trees in response to injury, broken branches, mould or insects which cause stress to the tree.  These rounded, bark-covered knobs are highly prized for their erratic patterns and peculiar grains.

This maple burl is very special because Brian cut it from a maple tree on my family farm.  He was walking in the bush and saw the gnarled growth on the side of a tree.  Brian was able to cut it off without injuring the tree and turned his first burl.  The result is a vessel of highly-figured unexpected beauty.  Our family farm has been sold but I have this extraordinary bowl as a reminder of my roots.

Bella Lake Yellow Birch Burl

Our neighbour Ken brought Brian a yellow birch burl a year and a half ago from a dying tree on his Bella Lake property.  Finally it was dry enough to turn.  The result is a lustrous, richly grained vessel.

The large, round burl had irregular edges which determined the final shape of the piece. Brian screwed the circular faceplate into the top of the burl.

The plate and burl were attached to the lathe and the tool rest set into place.  With the gouge, Brian made the first cuts into the wood.  The huge burl thumped and vibrated as it turned and the vessel took shape.  Woodturning is hard work as the resistance is absorbed by the hands and elbows.

Brian turned a graceful, fluted form and then created a stump on the bottom to attach the compression chuck.  The orientation of the vessel was then reversed so that the interior could be shaped. 

Once Brian had the top rough-turned, he drilled a hole in the centre to the exact depth he desired.  The chips flew as he shaped the interior of the vessel to that depth. 

The final cuts with a finer, finishing gouge left a smooth surface. It was sanded and many coats of oil were applied.

The oil brings out the richness in the wood. The variations in colour, grain and the contrasts of the bark and raw edges are now evident.  The vessel dries between each application of oil, the bottom is turned off and it is buffed to a beautiful, food-safe shine.

There is enormous satisfaction in delivering the finished piece to our neighbour.  The natural features of the raw burl from his Bella Lake property were tranformed to a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted vessel which will be a showpiece in his home.

Yellow Birch Burl Bowl

Brian has had a busy and creative week as a wood turner.  The workshop is back into production and he is excited about the quality of the burls he has to turn. Brian's wood supplier told him that this burl was from Algonquin Park.  How appropriate that it returns to the Huntsville area. Brian studied this large yellow birch burl and decided to make a shallow bowl.

Brian attached the burl to the chuck and with a sharp gouge, shaved away the wood as it turned on the lathe.  The wood chips collected as the graceful shape of the bowl was revealed.

The burl was buffed and the the first coats of oil were applied to show the beauty of the wood.

 

Brian put five coats of oil on the bowl, allowing it to dry completely between each coat.  This creates a hard and durable food-safe finish.



The finished yellow birch burl has become an exquisite bowl with intricate grain and texture and a natural bark edge.  

Tasso Lake Nested Bowls

A man on Tasso Lake commissioned Brian to make nested bowls from a yellow birch burl he cut from a tree on his cottage property.  With his nesting tool, Brian was able to make four bowls from the burl.

The bowls were individually chucked, turned on the lathe, and allowed to dry in the drying tent after each coat of oil.

The simple form and design of the bowls allow the variations of colour and figuring to shine, and they accentuate the natural beauty of the grain and bark inclusion.

Our neighbour was delighted with the finished, handcrafted bowls and they have a place of prominence on his great room table in front of the fireplace.  A burl from his property was transformed into bowls which are a pleasure to look at and touch, and they can be used to serve food to family and friends.

Cutting Up A Burl

A neighbour on Rebecca Lake called Brian on Thanksgiving weekend about a dying yellow birch tree that had been cut down.  It had huge burls that went half way around the trunk.  The family had always loved the tree because of the rounded protuberances and they called it the "bum tree".

It took three hours to cut the burl with the chainsaw.  Brian worked around the defects, punky and rotten areas to find the pieces which were solid and had potential to be turned. 



The slabs and chunks have interesting grains, colour and bark inclusions.  Our neighbour kept the largest flat slab to make a table and Brian has pieces which will eventually be beautiful bowls and platters.

The drying process for green wood takes a couple of years.  To ensure that the wood dries slowly and doesn't split, Brian coats the cut surfaces with a waxy sealant and stores them in a dry area.  Patience is a virtue for a wood turner.