What’s a Burl?

One of our artisans, woodturner Kip Sabens, was gifted a burl from gallery manager Deborah Van Ness today. We think it's cool that the burl was discovered on her property and now it will be used to create something that we know will be fabulous.

So what's a burl? No, it's not an oversized shrunken head.

It's a growth that forms on a tree in reaction to some kind of trauma, like an injury or infection. The wood's grain is affected because of the stress and can have a wide and intricate variety of colors, patterns, and textures.

Burls are rare and highly sought after by woodworkers because they have so much creative potential.

We're looking forward to seeing what Kip does with the burl. We'll let you know when he brings in his new work!