Segmented Bowls

Open forms built ring by ring, so the pattern runs through the wall of the bowl rather than sitting on its surface.

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Open segmented wooden bowl in pale maple crossed by two stepped bands in dark brown and russet hardwood

A bowl begins as boards. They are cut into smaller pieces and rearranged into a form that will serve as my blank canvas, then that blank goes on the lathe and the bowl is turned out of it.

What goes into a bowl

Because every ring is assembled before anything is turned, the pattern is part of the structure of the bowl and not a decoration applied to it. Cutting and arranging many small pieces of wood forms shapes and figures in ways that are not achievable with a solid block of wood.

The colour is the wood. Domestic and exotic species are selected for colour, availability and sustainability, and the natural colours in those woods are what allow for the creation of unique patterns and designs.

Cut and stacked

Boards are cut down into small pieces, each one sized and angled so the ring closes cleanly before any of it is glued.

Turned as one

The assembled blank goes on the lathe and the bowl is turned out of it, which is why the pattern runs through the wall and not over it.

Finished by hand

Once the shape is off the lathe the piece is sanded and finished by hand, so the joints between segments read as one surface.

How a piece is made

Polychromatic woodturning, commonly known as segmented construction: boards become segments, segments become a blank, and the blank becomes the vessel.

STEP 01

Select the wood

Domestic and exotic woods chosen for colour, availability and sustainability, from local Phoenix suppliers and resellers of traditional American hardwoods.

STEP 02

Cut the segments

Boards are cut down into small pieces, sized and angled so that the rings will close cleanly when they are assembled.

STEP 03

Build the blank

The pieces are rearranged and glued ring by ring into a form that will serve as the blank canvas for the piece.

STEP 04

Turn the vessel

The blank goes on the lathe and the shape emerges from the raw form, then it is sanded and finished by hand.

Straight from the workshop

Every bowl, vase and hollow vessel is designed, built and turned by David Kohler, then sold direct and shipped from Phoenix.

Flared segmented wooden bowl in dark hardwood with a stepped pattern in fine blue and cream dyed veneer lines

Free domestic shipping

Free domestic shipping on all orders over $350.

Turned by hand, one at a time

Every bowl, vase and hollow vessel is built and turned by David Kohler in his own workshop.

See the work in person

The pieces travel to fine art festivals across Arizona through the 2026 season.

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Question? Answered

How the work is built, where the wood comes from, and how to buy a piece.

What is segmented woodturning?

It is polychromatic woodturning, commonly known as segmented construction. It involves taking boards, cutting them into smaller pieces, and rearranging them into a form that will serve as my blank canvas. That blank then goes on the lathe, and the bowl or vessel is turned from it. It lets me form shapes and figures in a piece in ways that are not achievable with a solid block of wood.

Where does the colour come from?

Almost all of it is the wood itself. The materials are a combination of domestic and exotic woods from around the world, selected for colour, availability and sustainability, and the natural colours in those woods are what allow for the unique patterns and designs. New to the line are vessels that incorporate dyed birch veneers for dramatic and unique visuals.

Where do you source your wood?

Most of the exotics and imported woods are purchased from local suppliers in the Phoenix area. I use wood harvested from sustainable forests and managed plantations that use sound reforestation programs. Other sources are resellers of traditional American hardwoods, the same species our furniture and other goods have been crafted from for generations.

Do you ship?

Yes. There is free domestic shipping on all orders over $350.

Can I see the work in person?

Yes, and it is the best way to see how the segments come together. The pieces are at three Arizona fine art festivals in 2026: the Wigwam Festival of Fine Art in Litchfield Park in February, the Fountain Festival of Fine Arts & Crafts in Fountain Hills in February, and the High Street Arts Festival in Phoenix in March.

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Seen something you like?

Write to me about any piece in the gallery, or come and see the work in person at a show this season.

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SEGMENTED WOODTURNING

DOMESTIC & EXOTIC HARDWOODS

FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING OVER $350