The High Plains Vessel began not in the workshop, but along Cherry Creek — cottonwood carried home from a family visit to Colorado.
Story / Provenance
This bowl was hand-turned from Plains Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) personally gathered near Cherry Creek in Parker, Colorado, during a family visit. It's part of an ongoing thread of Colorado material — cottonwood from along the creek, aspen carried down from the mountains — running through several pieces in The Confluence.
This one carries a visible crack along the rim, left rather than hidden. Early in this work, that instinct wasn't fully formed yet. My brother-in-law, a carpenter, was the one who first pushed me to stop treating marks like this as something to minimize — to highlight them instead and let them be part of the piece. I wasn't there yet when this bowl was turned. Looking at it now, I think it holds up as a piece worth owning as it is.
About This Piece
A natural crack runs along one side near the rim, alongside a solid knot visible in the interior and base — both left fully intact. The wood is entirely natural: no stabilization, no dye. Rich, dark mineral streaking moves across the warm gold body, most dramatic near the rim.
Finished with walnut oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax. Best suited for candy, snacks, or other dry contents rather than liquids.
Details
Wood: Plains Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Craft: Hand-turned
Dimensions: approximately 4-1/2" diameter × 2" high
Natural crack near the rim; solid interior knot
Finish: Walnut oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax
Care: Hand wash and dry promptly. Do not soak or place in a dishwasher.
