The Gentleman Carver

We have friends who live on Catalpa Way, and I didn’t know it was named for a tree until exploring this delightful shop, Twinwoodcarving, full of hand carved bowls on etsy. Joe listens to each block of wood then uses the skills of a master craftsman to bring out the bowl hidden inside, exposing its glorious grain patterns and natural wood beauty. Years of hand woodworking classes in school, while growing up in Ireland, gave this artist the true appreciation of wood he enjoys today. Thank goodness for those cost cutting measures.

Each of his bowls is a one-of-a-kind treasure. He finishes each bowl with tung oil and beeswax, giving his artworks a lasting finish. These bowls are safe for food use, but are recommended for dry foods only. He also has a line of modern candle holders.

Joe carves in Missouri, ships internationally, and can be found on Facebook. He has an amusing and informative blog post about an over exuberant carving expedition on a piece of green wood, among other helpful ‘working with wood’ insights. My husband makes guitars and I can appreciate the amount of careful cajoling it takes to release these artistic pieces. I can imagine the satisfaction Joe takes when stepping back and gazing at a job well done!