Artists of Washington: Gary Young

Artist

Gary Young

Gary Young grew up in California, but his wife, two daughters and he moved to Alaska in the early '70s and spent most of the next 36 years there. He taught elementary school for six years, and then worked in construction until he retired in 1999. The Young family also cruised extensively during that time on their sailboat. Gary and his wife moved to Sequim, Washington in 2006.

"I’ve worked in stained glass and sculpture, but I really enjoy working with wood the most," Gary says. "I developed this unique way of making bowls several years ago."

Each bowl is carefully handcrafted and takes about 35 hours to complete. They are pieced together with woods of contrasting colors to depict the designs he creates, and the pieces are glued together with a two part epoxy glue. The finish consists of many coats of a special tung oil that brings out the natural color of the woods.

The bowls should never be subjected to temperatures above 170 degrees Fahrenheit because the epoxy will begin to soften at that point. They should therefore never be put in an oven or a microwave, or even a dishwasher. A soft damp (or dry) cloth should be used for any cleaning.

NOTE: Because of the special tung oil finish, the bowls are not suitable for preparing or serving food.