Frederick Williamson's striking wooden bowls are made from sections of fallen trees, most from within a 30-mile radius of his home in Crozet, Virginia. He has been a woodworker since 1971 and his creations have been displayed in galleries in and around Virginia.
From the Artist:
“The trajectory that took me from being a homesteading furniture maker to a turner of fine bowls was greatly influenced by my father’s appreciation of aesthetics. In 1970 he took me on a 6 week archaeological dig trip at Tel Gezer, Israel, where I was introduced to the use of potsherds to date those remnants from 900 BC. I became much intrigued and visited various museums there and in Greece, absorbing what those ancient artisans created. The sense and shapes of ancient Hopi pottery had the same effect on me, as does the work of Mata Ortiz and Cases Grandes pottery. There is a timeless strength in these elemental shapes. They are functional in origin but celebrate creative expression in color and line.
“I strive for the same with my turned wood bowls. There is no need for special glazes or detailed brush work as the wood itself does all. My challenge is to find logs with real character and then on my lathe turn them into simple bowls or globes, removing most of the wood as shavings to leave a thinned form. Polished smooth, these thinned arcs of wood display the character and history of the tree, a clear finish bringing to life the inherent beauty of figure and grain. To me the whole process preserves a bit of the soul of each tree, and each piece should be a pleasure to both hold and behold.”
