Langley woodworker makes super bowls

A former educator and lifelong woodworker is putting his skills to use with his love for creating and teaching.

What began as a COVID-era effort of turning 100 bowls on his lathe has become a six-year project for Langley resident Don Wodjenski, who estimates he is nearing completion of his 1,000th bowl.

Luckily, Whidbey Island has no shortage of wood, and it’s where he gets 90% of his stock. Cherry, plum, walnut, maple, elm and yew are just a sampling of what he’s used over the years and mainly acquired by word of mouth. Wodjenski laughed as he recalled the unsolicited text messages he’s received from people with wood in their yards to give away, one of the latest being for a fallen madrona tree near a dock in Holmes Harbor.

“When I can, the etiquette is to return a bowl to them,” he said.

Often, the placement of bark dictates the shape of the bowl. If part of the wood is too punky, he cuts away the rotting bits and makes a shallower bowl.

“My perspective is form and reveal,” he said. “It’s my job as the artisan to create the form, but it’s the wood’s job to reveal its inner beauty, to whatever extent anyone can appreciate it.”

Cracks get filled in with pops of color. Rims are charred, inlaid with turquoise or dotted with little holes.

Wodjenski’s bowls have been on display at Rob Schouten Gallery in Langley and Woodpalooza at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. He was on the map for the Whidbey Working Artists Studio Tour last year and has sold his work at a handful of holiday markets.

But bowls weren’t always his forte. He used to make furniture and cabinetry and taught photography at Skagit Valley College in Oak Harbor and South Whidbey High School.

“Both my grandad and my dad did a lot of woodworking, so it was kind of in the blood,” he said.

For people who are interested in learning how to make a bowl, Wodjenski is happy to provide guidance in his backyard studio. A three-hour session costs $100 and concludes with your own bowl.

“I’ve had people come in that didn’t know which end of the chisel to hold – truly, no idea,” Wodjenski said. “But they were game, you know?”

A recent student of his, Nathan Welton, spent a few hours creating a bowl on Wodjenski’s lathe. Giant chisels – “perfect for first-timers,” Wodjenski said – carve out the shape of the bowl as it spins dizzily.

“I kind of enjoy seeing what becomes of the piece, at the end of the day,” Welton said. “There’s so much beautiful grain and texture in wood. But you never know what it’s going to look like until you’re done, which is kind of fun.”

The low cost of Wodjenski’s bowls – usually around $100 or below – allows him to purchase sandpaper and accessories to keep making more.

“What can’t you put in a bowl?” he marveled. “There’s a bazillion things you can put in a bowl. There’s only a few things you just don’t want to do.”

He posts photos of his most recent creations on his Instagram page, @wodjenskicreative. Those interested in buying a bowl or learning how to make one can contact him at drwo1357@gmail.com.