"I would have preferred to live 100 years ago. Producing a piece of a bygone era is my little way of getting even with fate." So says Steve Adams, a hand hewn bowl artist and member of The Over The Mountain Studio Tour. "I'm not creating bowls. I'm creating historic art."
For his bowls, Steve starts with green wood and uses the same painstaking manual process the Native Americans did. His tools of choice are the chisel, scorp (a sharp chisel-like tool with a curved or squared cutting end) and hand adz. He doesn't impose his vision on the wood but tries to "listen" to what the wood wants to be.
After carving comes curing where the woods sap is extracted over a 3-5 week period and is replaced by mineral oil applied several times a day. Then a layer of beeswax is carefully applied and hand buffed. The process is time consuming and meant to conserve the piece for generations.
Steve also crafts furniture and takes commissions. He can be reached via email at steve@charlesstevenadams.com. It's fascinating to hear the strong philosophy and vision that guides his work. The Studio Tour artists love to share our vision, techniques and process with visitors. So don't be shy when next you see us.
