Big leaf maple, found in the Pacific Northwest, is one of the largest native deciduous trees getting as large as 8 ft in diameter. This bowl takes advantage of one of the most quilted Big Leaf Maple Trees I have had the good fortune to come across. The folds in the grain form strong vertical patterns in the vessel, a wonderful contrast to the ripples they form on the rim on of the piece. The large size of the maple allows for a flatter and more balanced natural edge rim, providing strength of form when viewed from all directions.

This piece was bleached to remove the distraction of the patterns of color in the wood, leaving a simple statement of form and texture. Also, the piece has extra meaning to me because it was from wood I gathered with a good friend.  That friend, John Swanson, passed away last year. We reminisced about that outing in one of my visits with John in the hospital, and I wished he could have seen the finished piece.