Frederick Williamson lives and works just west of Charlottesville, Virginia. He has been working with wood since 1971 and is largely self-taught. He turned his focus from custom furniture to turning greenwood bowls around 2020. He has sold through mid-Atlantic craft shows and has been active with the Artisans Studio Tour for 15 years. He now sells by appointment only from his studio.
Of the vessels displayed here, Fred says:
"Turning bowls straight from the log allows me to bring out the beauty of wood with much artistic spontaneity. I love to work with local trees felled by storm, disease, or old age. Most logs are from within a 30-mile radius of my home. There is a strong element of the found object. People will call me about a tree that came down at their home, perhaps wanting a bowl to preserve memories. I delight in using classic simple shapes to allow the wood to speak for itself. Polished smooth and dried to a stabilized state, the thin arcs display the character and history of the tree, displaying the inherent beauty of figure and grain which the finish brings to life. The whole process preserves a bit of the soul of the tree.
"Each of my bowls begins as a chosen section of log, chain-sawn to rough size, and screwed onto the faceplate of my homemade lathe. Peculiar details such as grain, color, texture, knots, burls, ant holes, or spalting often determine the final shape. Those traits are my palette and my glazes, with a clear finish used to bring out the natural color of the wood. Because my bowls are turned thin, they warp rather than crack as they dry to their final state. None is perfectly round, and each is unique. Much risk is involved, since what is cut off can't be replaced. It takes concentration, strength, patience, and tolerance of showers of shavings to complete a piece and be rewarded by the bowl's glow when the oil is applied."
