Working primarily with red maple burl wood, artist Gary Matthews carefully turns domestic woods into beautiful yet functional vessels. His shapes are simple, allowing the exquisite patterns that occur naturally in the burl to speak for themselves. Burls are unusual growths that mostly occur on the trunk of the tree. They consist of a mass of either dormant buds (often referred to as ‘eyes’) or unusual grain patterns. There is no consistent alignment of wood fibres which results in unpredictable colour and patterning in the wood. All of Gary’s vessels are created using wood hand picked from logging sites in Eastern Ontario. For over 20 years he has been turning wooden salad bowls, serving boards and burls on a handmade lathe in his workshop near the village of Tamworth, Ontario.
After Use: Rinse and wipe using clear, warm water. To Clean (every 3-6 months): Wetsurface and coat liberally with salt. Let sit 10 minutes. Scrub with soft cloth using warm, clear water. Re-oil using Canola oil, mineral oil or a natural beeswax finish.
