George MacDonald

The wood has its own personality and becomes what it’s meant to be. 

To George MacDonald, it’s that simple. 

He says, “The wood is almost everything. If you’ve got good wood you can make it into something.”

He doesn’t really take credit for the artistic vision.

According to him, he’s just a retired carpenter, with a lathe and some tools. He learned how to turn bowls on the lathe from a friend by bartering lessons for foraged mushrooms. He said at his age he didn’t have time to learn EVERYTHING, so he learned ONE THING “pretty well” and decided to see if he could make some money with it. 

“Pretty well” is definitely an understatement. George is an artist, and creates the most beautiful wooden bowls that almost seem to have their own souls. 

He doesn’t turn two alike. They’re all odd shapes and sizes, pied and dappled. Some have cracks and are stitched together and others have holes filled with turquoise. They’re surprisingly strange and beautiful all at the same time. 

Most especially the stitched-together-ones — Broken, but pieced together with bows to become stronger and more perfect. 

You have to go see George and his bowls in person! You can find him at the Roaring Gap Farmers Market most Fridays. 

(Pictured is a natural edge wild cherry bowl in the process of being stitched. A few pictures of George in his shop, and the finished bowl at the end. More bowl pictures to come in another post)