As long as I can remember, I’ve appreciated and enjoyed the appearance and feel of quality, carefully crafted wooden items. The depth of the woodgrain, the richness of color, and the tactile qualities of rare woods present a sensual delight.
Today, I want to share three attractive examples of carved walnut used as floral containers.
One aspect of these containers I especially enjoy is that they were made by people from my region of the country. This pedestal container is actually a candy dish. This was marked,”handcrafted by Sidney F. Still, Nebraska, USA, black walnut”. This example was a block of various pieces glued together, then turned on a lathe. The lid, that I put away for safekeeping, was formed in a similar manner. I wanted a grand display of multicolored blooms to highlight the flawless container.
A very simple, small vase is pleasing to the eye. A local man, C.L. Hicks, turned this from a single block of black walnut in 1984. It needed some cleaning, so I used a conventional wood soap then polished it with Pledge furniture spray. I wanted to carry
through the simplicity with simple, small flowers. The panflute from Greece makes a fine counterpoint for the display.
The farthest place of origin is Minnesota. This simple vase was carved from a single block of walnut and drilled to hold a very small arrangement or a solitary bud. I used the six elements that came with the vase originally. The long leaves are carved bentwood, painted green. Two flowers are varnished bentwood. There are two cattails made of walnut scraps, too. I added three other elements to fill out the composition.
I hope you also like beautiful, handmade artifacts like these. You can find them reasonably priced at craft shows, gift shops and thrift stores. It’s especially gratifying to own something that was carefully, lovingly made only a few miles from home.
Ciao
The Blue Jay of Happiness enjoys the nuts from these trees, as well.
