"Turning" Nature into Art
ABOUT
Matt's Story
As the recipient of a kidney from a living donor, Matt Botchler truly understands what it means to be gifted a second chance. Unable to work in the last couple of years leading up to his surgery, he spent many sleepless nights distracted by fear and pain. A blessing in disguise, however, came to him when he discovered a passion for wood working, teaching himself how to hand carve walking sticks in his home when he was too weak to stand at a lathe and turn pieces himself. This distraction aided his pains, up until he got his gift of life from Alex, his wife's best-friend, and a true savior. Once healed, he turned his passion into a full-time occupation, transforming would-be scraps of wood into functional works of art.
"Woodworking got me through."
Through his wood working, Matt has been able to give second chances himself to once-discarded products of nature. He sees potential in each piece, allowing nothing to go to waste and giving beauty, purpose, and function to all shapes and sizes of wood. Now, his goal is to share his appreciation and talents with the public. He wishes to show the value of each individual work as they carry their own uniqueness, just like each person in the world.
For Matt, sculpting these pieces was a way to gain freedom and control in a time of pain and uncertainty. To go from endless nights pacing his living room, completely surrendered to a plan he wasn't yet aware of, to taking mountain top photos with his soulmate by his side, Matt is a true product of second chances through the caring of others. This gratefulness for life is reflected through each piece he turns, shaving away the dead layers to reveal a unique and true beauty that was always there. The struggles and pain and worry Matt encountered, similar to the wood chips scattered around his back-yard, were shed to reveal a new, beautiful purpose. And with that purpose, he intends to leave a legacy - one that shows art truly imitates life.
My Process
First I choose a tree or head to the lumber yard and pick out wood that has unique characteristics. The wood is green, having been recently cut down, and is locally sourced from my area/region. I cut the log into sections to look at the grain and determine what kind of bowl I will be able to make. I then cut the log in half and use my templates to determine the size of bowl. I cut that into a round "bowl blank". The bowl blank is mounted onto the lathe where I then turn the bowl into the size and shape I feel best fits the wood and size. I "rough turn" the bowl into shape leaving enough thickness for drying.
The rough turned bowl is placed in a paper bag marked with a date and set to dry until the moisture reading is less than 6%. Drying time depends on the species of wood, size and thickness of the piece. One year of drying time is needed for each inch (1"). Some pieces may require only a few months, while others can take 6 months to 1 year before they are ready for the final turning.
When the piece has reached the desired moisture content, it is ready for the "final turn" on the lathe. I will go through many grits of sandpaper until bowl is super smooth. The bowl is then sealed with wood butter that I make myself from organic bees wax and mineral oil. It is food safe and can be used in any type of wood, even wooden furniture.
Each piece is signed and dated and waiting for you to enjoy!
Wood Characteristics
Burl
A burl is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is usually found on the trunk, at the base of the tree, and sometimes underground in the form of a rounded outgrowth. It is caused by some kind of stress, such as injury, virus, fungus, insect infestation or mold growth.
Burl wood is used by artists to create sculptures and furniture. It is highly prized by artists because of its unique shapes and ring patterns.
Spalting
Spalting is created by fungal invasion of wood — it is literally rotting. This causes some areas of the wood to bleach to a champagne color while other areas retain the original color of the wood. Certain fungi can even produce stained areas of blue, pink and other colors. The most fascinating creations of the fungi are dark lines, usually black, that look like free-form art drawn with a calligraphy pen or figures in fine marble.
All of my spalted wood bowls are treated and food safe.
Curl
Curl is compression grain perpendicularly crossing the face of a board producing alternate stripes of hard and soft board fiber. It is also referred to as tiger stripe and ripple.