TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Friday evening, several individuals gathered at the Swope Art Museum to make traditional forms of art out of wood. The lobby was filled with the sounds of chopping blocks.
“The Swope Art Gallery has asked a number of people who make hand hewing bowls to demonstrate how the bowls are made by hand,” retired Superintendent of Vigo County Parks, Keith Ruble said.
Keith Ruble says not many people make bowls by hand, but its a long time tradition.
“There’s very few people in the United States that actually make bowls by hand using an adze and this tradition goes way back,” Ruble said.
“The great tradition of bowl carving goes back to build day, but Keith Ruble long time park superintendent here at Vigo County Parks, he was making bowls back in the seventies and eighties and he continues to do that,” Indiana State Associate Professor of Folklore, Jon Kay added.”
Ruble says make bowls out of wood isn’t easy, but finding a good piece of wood is a great place to start.
“You have to use wood that is grain, freshly cut wood that has moisture in it. You take a slab of the wood on either side of the center. That can have the center in it and then you slab that and then you take that slab and you can make different things,” Ruble said.
Jon Kay is the Indiana State Associate Professor of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, he has been doing this for several years and knows exactly what tools to use.
“A tool called and adze, which is like a hatchet with a blade turned sideways. And they chop out the bowls. When you’re working with a lathe you can only make round bowls. With an adze you can make bowls in all different shapes,” Kay said.
Ruble says he has been doing this for over 40 years and will continue to do this for the rest of his life.
“This type of work it’s relaxing and it’s something that’s very enjoyable when you start with something raw and end up with something beautiful. Person like me can do this the rest of my life and enjoy it. Even if I’m in a wheelchair I can still do this.”
