The beauty of trees has always been an inspiration to me. Their shapes are formed by the forces of nature combined with the adaptions each tree makes to grow. It results in complex grain patterns with timeless beauty. The wood I use is taken from trees that have fallen or are cut because of disease, not harvested. For instance, I am turning salvaged old growth redwood when available. The wood comes from stumps of trees cut years ago. Some of these trees as old as 2000 years. The wood is still strong and the grain incredibly beautiful. In the past year I have started to make utilitarian bowls in addition to decorative bowls. I am making large salad bowls from walnut and have created some beautiful pieces. I have enjoyed the challenge. It takes several years to dry the large pieces of wood to make these bowls. I plan to make more as the wood matures so it can be turned.