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| Don Lindsley at his studio |
Don's scientific path took interesting turns. It was obvious to him that he would follow his father's steps and become a scientist, a physicist, as a matter of fact. During one of their many walks through woods, father and son decided not only to enjoy the outdoors but also to learn more about it.
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| Bowl by Don Lindsley, black walnut and malachine |
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| Lindsleyite, a mineral named after Don Lindsley |
Don's father, an amateur wood turner and furniture maker in the times of Depression, carved a small bowl from a limb of a walnut tree and then challenged Don to carve a matching bowl from the other half of the limb. Don did. Both bowls are still amongst Don's cherished possessions, with their rich dark walnut color and a smooth surface intact.
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| Vase by Don Lindsley, cherry and malachine |
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| Bowl by Don Lindsley, cherry and malachite | Bowl by Don Lindsley, black locust |
While visiting Santa Fe he was inspired by a wood carver who inserted turquoise into the wood. Don tried to work turquoise into his own pieces, but found it too hard. Instead he picked two close chemical brothers - green malachite and dark blue azurite, for his works. Don crashes the minerals (it breaks his geologist's heart to do so), binds them with an adhesive and inserts them into the crevices. He also uses fossilized coral, particularly on pieces turned from box elder, to merry the pink / salmon hues of both. The striking appearance of colorful stone on wood makes Don's art stand out.
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| Azurite stone | Ground azurite and malachite |
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| Bowl by Don Lindsley, patches of green malachite in a large cherry bowl | Bowl by Don Lindsley, azurite inserted into a bowl made of American beech |
He does not carve or varnish his pieces, he likes the wood to shine through. All Don's pieces are covered with a thin layer of a food-safe finish. More on Don's work can be found on his website The Well Turned Bowl. We invite you for a tour of the artist's workshop.
