As I mentioned yesterday, we like to buy from artists as we travel. On one of those handout maps with little ads around the margins we saw a spot for Andrew Pearce and wooden bowls. If you have followed me over the years, you may remember I love bowls. I have bowls to spare and still crave more, a less fattening addiction than chocolate! The maps always caution “not drawn to scale,” so we weren’t sure how far it was on Route 4 in Vermont. But the road is lovely and we enjoyed keeping an eye out for the place.
The smell of the showroom was intoxicating: maple, cherry and black walnut objects all rubbed with oil and filling the space. The owner buys whole logs and has a sawmill in back to cut them down to workable sizes. Then working with electric machinery, he and other artists fashion all sorts of bowls and art pieces.
Having no need of an artistic piece of wood since my husband collects them on his own(for free outdoors), I settled on the bowl above. Just 10″ across, made of cherry, it now sits on a side table in the living room. When Charlie asked what I was going to use it for, I replied “I am just going to look at it.” And I do.
Saved By Words 
That’s reason enough!
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Perfect! 😊
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Oh, the bowl is beautiful! I think just looking at it is perfect. Surely this is Simon’s brother? Son? I’ll be in the area this fall, so I MUST visit, smell the wood, and enjoy the shop.
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You might ask. I suspect his son, but who knows.
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I Googled him. Yes, Andrew is Simon’s son. Yahoo!
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I love that he went to wood. Must have been tired of glass breaking!
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My good friend, one of the ‘Mermatrons’, lives nearby. I asked her about Andrew. She tells me that Andrew is very successful with high functioning Downs. What a role model he must be! One of the Mermatron’s grandchild has Downs, so this will be a special and inspiring visit for her. We will be visiting this fall! Yes, I love that he went to wood.
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Thanks for the additional information. We are probably going to get our next puppy from Woodstock, so we will get to visit his shop again.
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Hooray!
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I love that you appreciate it for the gift of presence it brings to your life. That is enough purpose. I think. I, too, marvel at things of beauty.
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Sounds like a great hobby.
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I enjoy it each trip.
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It looks beautiful, enjoy it!
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Thanks.
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I totally understand. And William Morris’s famous quote confirms your choice: ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful’
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I love it.
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I can think of no better reason to buy a hand-crafted thing of beauty.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks.
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I love cherry wood. My daughter as a tot called it cheery wood and I totally agree!
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I am with her. It is very cheery.
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I totally understood “just going to look at it” – back when I first went to art school, I had a glass bud vase, and suddenly I had the urge to bundle up a bunch of loom heddles (parts to do with a weaving loom) and poured in some glue and rested the heddles in the vase, the glue was a bit wet, so the base of the metal heddles are rusted. People would look at it and say “what’s it for?” “me nothing” – I still have it on my main display
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I don’t think I realized you went to art school. I spent my professional life at an art college teaching literature and writing to young studio artists. Had the time of my life.
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It is beautiful.
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Thanks.
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Wonderful, Elizabeth. I also like to purchase home crafted objects like this.
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