Wood Bowls by Chris

06/02/2026

Bowl 634 - Flame Figure

Imagine holding a piece of nature’s diary, where every crack tells a story. This handcrafted wooden bowl, crafted from Madrone wood sourced from the Jacksonville Cemetery, is a testament to natural beauty and artisanal skill. Measuring 6 1/2 inches in diameter and 4 3/4 inches tall, this bowl is a perfect blend of form and function.

Every bowl is meticulously finished with walnut oil and beeswax, enhancing its rich, deep hues of dark reds, blacks, and browns. The intricate flame figure pattern dances across the surface, resembling swirling rivers or flowing veins—nature’s artistry captured in wood.

This isn’t just a vessel; it’s a conversation starter. Whether as a fruit bowl, veggie platter, or charcuterie display, it brings nature indoors. Its size and shape make it perfect for intimate gatherings or grand displays.

Wood: Madrone from Jacksonville Cemetery
Size: 6 ½ inches diameter by 4 ¾ inches tall
Price: $125.00

05/30/2026

Bowl # 632 - Ancient Remnants

Meet "Ancient Remnants," a Madrone bowl crafted from the heart of nature itself. Each stroke reveals deep reddish-brown hues, a testament to its origin at 935 Granite Ridge Cir, Jacksonville, OR. Its intricate patterns resemble delicate lace, telling tales etched into its grain. The bark edges whisper of the wild, while its rounded form invites touch.

This bowl isn’t just an object; it’s a story. Discovered within is a creature's shadow, a silent guardian from the forest floor. A bird's head peeks out, adding a touch of whimsy. Together, they invite you to ponder nature's secrets.

Crafted with care using walnut oil and beeswax, this bowl stands as a celebration of life’s imperfections. Its cracks, stabilized with coffee and glue, enhance its character—proof that beauty often emerges from resilience.

Measuring 8.5 inches in diameter and 5 inches tall, it commands attention yet cradles your bounty with care. Whether holding fruit or serving charcuterie, it’s a hero for any table, or a cherished display piece.

Join me in honoring nature's artistry. Let "Ancient Remnants" be your vessel of stories.

Wood: Madrone from Granite Ridge in Jacksonville Oregon
Size: 8 1/2" diameter x 5" tall
Price: $175

05/29/2026

Bowl # 631 - Savanna

I am holding a sunset in my hands. I call this piece "Savanna," and when you look closely at the fiery crimson sweeping into golden honey tones, it is easy to see why. The dark, coffee-filled inclusions stretch across the grain like a distant horizon, and if you tilt it just right in the light, the swirling lines near the rim look almost like a lion resting in the tall grass.

This Pacific Madrone comes with a quiet, storied past. I sourced it from the grounds of our historic Jacksonville Cemetery here in Oregon. The cemetery is one of the oldest in the Pacific Northwest, a peaceful, rolling landscape steeped in pioneer history. Madrone is a stunning, rebellious tree known for its peeling, paper-like bark and smooth, cool trunk—and it’s notorious for twisting and cracking as it dries. I don't fight its nature; I highlight it. Those dark veins you see are natural cracks I’ve stabilized with a blend of glue and my morning coffee grounds. No dyes, no stains. Just pure, living wood finished with natural walnut oil and beeswax to let it breathe.

At 4 3/4" across and 2 1/2" tall, it’s the perfect size for a bedside jewelry catch-all, a home for your keys, or simply a standalone art piece to bring a warm, earthy pulse to your favorite shelf.

Wood: Madrone from the Jacksonville Cemetery in Oregon
Size: 4 3/4" diameter x 2 1/2" tall
Price: $45

05/18/2026

Bowl # 627 - When the Earth Speaks

The earth has a rhythm, and sometimes, if you listen closely to a piece of fallen Big Leaf Maple from Medford, it tells you exactly where it wants to go. This isn't just a bowl; it’s a captured moment of Oregon’s wild history. 🌲✨

I found this piece and knew I had to let the wood do the talking. I don’t use dyes or burns—just the honest glow of walnut oil and beeswax to wake up those creamy golds and deep, amber shadows. Look closely at the "flaws." Those delicate cracks aren't weaknesses; I’ve stabilized them with dark coffee grounds to turn a scar into a signature. To me, the spalting looks like a topographic map of a forgotten forest, or perhaps a silhouette of a mountain range at dusk. 🏔️

At over 9 inches wide, this hollow-form piece feels substantial in the hands, like holding a smooth, sun-warmed stone. Because of the intimate opening, it’s the perfect sanctuary for your daily treasures—think heirloom jewelry, smooth river stones, or even a dried botanical arrangement.

Wood Fact: Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a true giant of the Pacific Northwest, known for its massive leaves that can reach a foot across. It’s a "living" wood that reacts beautifully to the environment, creating those unique, painterly spalting patterns you see here.

Wood: Maple from Medford Oregon
Size: 9 1/4" diameter x 4 1/2" tall
Price: $160

05/16/2026

Bowl # 629 - Skeletal Madrone

Every piece of wood has a home. I keep track of every source, and this particular Madrone comes from the sacred ground of the Jacksonville Cemetery in Oregon. Known as the "Arbutus" to some, Madrone is legendary for its twisting growth and peeling, reddish bark—qualities you can see reflected in the rich, warm oranges and deep chocolate patterns of this bowl.

Can you see the intricate "masks" and faces that the grain reveals? My process is one of preservation; I use only walnut oil and bees wax to let the wood breathe. At 5 1/2" wide, it is a compact powerhouse of texture. This is a collector’s display piece. Place it where the light can hit those coffee-filled stabilized cracks, highlighting the "defects" that make it perfect. It’s a conversation starter, a piece of the Oregon landscape brought indoors.

Wood: Madrone from the Jacksonville Cemetery in Oregon
Size: 5 1/2" diameter x 4 1/2" tall
Price: $90

05/15/2026

Bowl # 626 - Golden Hour

Introducing "Golden Hour," a study in the resilience and beauty of Medford Maple. My process is always about subtraction—removing the excess to find the character within. This piece features incredible vertical grain movement and rich, caramel-toned figure that shifts as you rotate it.

Sustainable sourcing is at the heart of my work. This wood was salvaged locally, ensuring that the life of the tree continues in a functional form. Every bowl is finished with a food-safe blend of walnut oil and beeswax, preserving the natural tactile feel of the wood without the plastic-like look of synthetic finishes.

💎 How to use: Given its elegant taper and height, it works beautifully as a standalone sculpture on a mantle, or as a sophisticated container for jewelry and daily essentials.

Wood: Maple from Medford Oregon
Size: 5 1/2" diameter x 5" tall
Price: $75

05/15/2026

Bowl # 625 - Black Moon

They say wood remembers. This Madrone didn’t come from a hardware store; it stood for decades as a silent witness in the historic Jacksonville Cemetery right here in Oregon. It has breathed the same air as the pioneers since the late 1800s, and now, it’s found a second life on my lathe.

I call this piece Black Moon. Look closely at that dark, cratered inclusion—I’ve stabilized the natural "defects" using a mix of coffee grounds and resin, turning a potential fracture into a celestial focal point. The wood itself is a warm, glowing salmon, finished only with natural walnut oil and beeswax. No dyes, no burns—just the honest soul of the Pacific Madrona.

Madrone is notorious among woodturners for its wild, warping nature. It wants to move. It wants to be organic. I simply followed the grain until it settled into this 13-inch flowing silhouette.

How to use: This is a statement piece. It’s a 7-inch deep vessel perfect for a mountain of vibrant green apples on a kitchen island, or placed on a low entryway table to hold your daily essentials in a piece of local history.

Wood: Madrone from the Jacksonville Cemetery in Oregon
Size: 13" diameter x 7" tall
Price: $275

05/09/2026

Bowl # 624 - Aftermath

There is a specific kind of magic in working with Madrone. It is a tree that doesn’t just grow; it dances, twisting its limbs toward the light. This piece, which I’ve titled Aftermath, carries a heavier history than most. It was sourced from the historic Jacksonville Cemetery, where the wood stood watch over decades of silence.

As I turn this on the lathe, the deep brick-reds and creamy oranges of the grain begin to emerge, swirling like a desert sunset. I never use dyes or stains; the color you see is the heartbeat of the tree itself, preserved under a simple finish of walnut oil and beeswax. Notice the jagged, natural edge where the bark once clung—it’s a reminder of the raw, living form. I’ve filled the character-rich cracks with coffee grounds and glue, turning what some call "defects" into stabilized, dark veins that look like tectonic plates shifting. It is a vessel of history, perfectly sized to hold citrus on a sunlit counter or to stand alone as a centerpiece that invites people to lean in and touch the grain.

Wood Fact: Madrone is notoriously difficult to work with because it "moves" and warps as it dries, making every stable, finished bowl a small feat of engineering and patience.

Wood: Madrone from the Jacksonville Cemetery in Oregon
Size: 7 1/2" diameter x 5 1/2" tall
Price: $120

05/08/2026