Charlie Fudge

                                                             WOODSMAN OF THE ROCKIES

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Think about segments and our lives.  Birthdays.  Golf shots.  Quilts.  Work hours.  The route home.  We use single segments or components of segments every day.  I use segments, one or many, to create objects which please people with their design, artistry, color, shape, and maybe whimsy.

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The character of a tree changes when we cut it into segments.  A cut across the trunk reveals growth rings, patterns of heartwood and sapwood, and colors peculiar to the species.  The segments between limbs measure vertical growth and suggest interior grain variation where branches intercede.  A vertical cut displays a wealth of patterns, colors, shapes, and perhaps a glimpse of the soul of the tree.  

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The form and character of my woodworking begins with a challenge.  I seek to release a shape, color, and grain pattern that appeals to a patron’s response to beauty.

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Designing and making segmented bowls requires segment accuracy (sometimes down to a few thousandths of an inch), knowledge of wood compatibility, and coloration blending.  Whether making single-piece bowls,  large classical multi-segmented bowls, or small "fun bowls" I try to use eye-catching color and pattern variations and a great finish.  Finally, bowls contain no emptiness.  Where space and form join, grain pattern, color tones, shape, and design of the piece offer a glimpse of the majesty that lies within wood.