[Woodcarver] Backyard Apple for Carving

[John H. Clarke]

Hi, David Woods
I have carved several figures in apple and I have become a fan.  
Carved and oiled, the wood baries in  color from red to orange to  
yellow to white, depending in its place within the trunk and the  
amount of decay that has built up. Formally fruitful apple trees, the  
kind that grows an an orchard or backyard, offer remarkable shapes,  
too -- plenty of curves to exploit. But orchard apple trees are  
unpredictable too. Because farmers make a practice of pruning as a  
tree grows, water can seep in and form pockets or punky rot. You can  
usually get around these cavities if you are sculpting but they would  
make turning bowls a pretty frustrating activity. Wild apples that  
have grown in a forest can offer pure grain and multiple colors,  
without rot. Because they have to compete with surrounding trees to  
survive, they grow straight and true. The wood is remarkably hard,  
particularly after drying for 2-3 years. Still, I keep both forest  
apple and orchard apple in the shed, slowly drying as I try to figure  
out what they can become
John Clarke