All these bowls were turned freehand by Michael Zayac on a 1940s restored Oliver lathe which he lovingly rebuilt. With the exception of the Big Leaf Maple from the great northwest woods of Oregon and the Mesquite from New Mexico, the wood for these bowls was hunted for by Michael in the New England hardwood forests. Michael’s passion for woodturning was inspired by a collection of wood vessels collected by Dr. Irwin Thompson.

As he worked at the Thompson household doing many projects over the years his desire to try his hand at creating these masterpieces grew. When Michael created his first bowl “My desire for turning soon became an addiction.” Over time his collection has grown to contain over forty pieces. Michael believes that every piece of wood has a life of its own that is just screaming to be released by his turning. Unfortunately, he cannot spend as much time turning now but his passion still is present.