Cremation urns definitely were not on my mind when I started woodworking. However, once I learned the skills needed to make sealed hollow vessels the seeds were planted. When considering the idea, I noticed many of the commercial cremation urns are not that attractive. At least, I didn’t think so and I wanted to challenge that notion with some nicer …
Danish Oil Finish – Top 3 Reasons to Mix Your Own
If your familiar with Danish oil finish then scroll down to get to the tips. Otherwise, keep reading for some basic information. Danish Oil Finish… Whats that? A little background for those less familiar with Danish oil finish. Danish oil is a wood finish that is considered a wiping finish. Meaning that the wood is saturated, let soak for a …
Catalog of Wood Sculpture – Hollow Forms
I’ve thought about creating a catalog of my wood sculpture for some time now, mostly for a pictographic reference. Unfortunately at times I have not been able to get a picture of a fair number of my sculpture, largely because I did not have time to photograph before they slipped out the door to a gallery. That said, these days …
Cutting Threads in Wood by Hand
One of the quality features on my urns is that I make wood finials to seal the urn vessel opening. I cut threads into the wood so that the finial screws on to the top of the urn body making a tight fit that does not require any sealant. I put together a pair of videos to help demonstrate this …
A Rare Find – Unique Story of a Large Magnolia
From time to time I come across wood that has a nice history. Such is the case of a large magnolia tree that I acquired from St. Paul’s Episcopal in Edenton, North Carolina. Magnolia (magnolia grandiflora) is a species that is typically long lived and very robust, not often dropped by strong storms. My experience also shows it to be …
Expanding the Artistic Viewpoint – Answering Questions of Why?
The artist statement – a short written statement that helps the artist express themselves and explain their interests and viewpoints (such as mine https://vanduynwoodwork.com/about/). My first experiences with the “statement” came more as a requirement for juried shows, galleries, and exhibit submissions. So from the beginning it was treated more as an attachment to a professional artists resume. I entered …
A long overdue furniture project
One of the more ironic things about making woodwork, sculpture, furniture, and other projects is that you always seem to be making things for other people. Not that that is a bad thing, but in my case I haven’t built a really meaningful piece of furniture in a very long time. So, now I have a need for a new …