Each bowl is shaped by hand on a small lathe in my workshop — a slow, considered process that lets the wood decide its own character.
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Kees at the lathe — Oxford, Mississippi
My name is Kees (pronounced Case). I retired some years ago and found a new interest: woodworking and turning wooden bowls. Over the years my skills have improved and the bowls I make have become a source of pride.
I work in a converted garage that is my home workshop, spending hours coaxing bowls from often challenging hardwoods. There’s something deeply satisfying about the process — the sharpening of the tools, the shavings, and the slow reveal of grain and figure as the form emerges.
I approach each piece with patience. I let the wood guide me. Some blanks have wild grain that demands careful technique; others are cooperative and almost eager. Every bowl ends up unique — a product of the particular piece of wood, the decisions made at the lathe, and the finishing method chosen to bring out its best.
I don’t mass-produce. Each bowl is one of a kind, made by hand, start to finish.
Every bowl is turned by hand. No two are alike — each is shaped by the particular piece of wood and the decisions made in the moment at the lathe. I use traditional, high-speed steel tools made in the UK and sand bowls down to 600 grit. I use a broad range of woods, but cherry, walnut, maple, sapele, ash, and olive are among the more satisfying to work with.
Most of my bowls are finished with Rubio Monocoat, a penetrating oil-wax formula that enhances the wood’s natural figure and colour without building up a thick surface film.
Select pieces are finished with Shellawax liquid friction polish — applied at speed on the lathe, it builds a warm, lustrous surface quickly and brings out a beautiful natural sheen.
Some pieces receive a wipe-on polyurethane finish — a durable, warm surface that brings depth and a gentle sheen, ideal for bowls that will see regular handling.
I enjoy working with demanding species — dense, figured, unpredictable hardwoods that test technique and reward patience with extraordinary grain patterns and depth of colour.
Because every blank is different and every turning session is its own conversation with the wood, no two KG Bowls are ever the same.
I’m happy to talk about available pieces, commissions, or simply the craft of woodturning. Feel free to reach out.
kgispen@gmail.comOxford, Mississippi