Great Art Gifts: Glorious Wooden Utensils

Art means many different things to many different people.  It can be fanciful, serious, thought-provoking; ancient, modern, and futuristic; it can adorn walls, tables, floors, even popping up in nature, the greatest artwork of all.  Inevitably, we all see something different in a work of art, be it deeply personal or really doesn't connect with us at all.  But perhaps the most overlooked form of creation to be called art is the one that we should pay the closest attention to.

Functional art.

That is to say, art that is useful and used.  That becomes a helper, then an old friend, as we go about our daily lives.  A quiet pleasure that makes a normal task feel a little less onerous.  For the hand and eye and heart, a bit more comfort.

And why are we waxing eloquent this way, on the eve of one of our beloved holidays?

Well, because giving the gift of art is terrifically easy when you have the opportunity to gift a loved one with something beautiful, handmade, useful, affordable, sustainably sourced, food-safe, and locally and lovingly produced by a single artisan right here in the Pacific Northwest.

There may be more reasons to consider these fabulous pieces of art as gifts (or bring them into your own home), and we bet you will think of any number of reasons for yourself, right after you see them.

And we're excited to show them to you!  Ready?  Here's a look:

BENTWOOD UTENSILS
FROM TIPLIN TAYLOR

A lovely collection!

These range in price from $14.00 to $28.00, amazing prices given

the extraordinary workmanship and use of exotic woods,

and locally-sourced woods that might otherwise make

their way into a fireplace.

It should be noted, too, that these are not made with multiple

laminated layers; they are primarily solid wood, with

often a secondary wood piece attached as a

decorative and/or strengthening device.  So they are

inherently strong and extremely well built.

Several close-ups:

Rice paddle.

A walnut and elm rice paddle!

Hands up, everyone who uses one of those white plastic things
that came with the pot..

Yikes, we just put up our own hands!

But no need to do that anymore, if you have one of these

beautiful creations.  Serving rice at the table just became a

lot more interesting.  With ART!

See how wonderfully well that works?

Or how about this:

Spatula.

A spatula, useful for... everything, now that we think about it.

Serve off a platter at table, take cookies off a baking sheet,

wrangle dinner in a wok.  The uses are endless.

As is this:

Spatula

Another spatula, with a more rectangular aspect, crafted from
fascinating and deeply colored leopardwood.

How gorgeous!  This wood has simply stunning grain.

And again, all Tiplin Taylor pieces are finished in

food-safe oils, so no worries there.  They can be cared for

after wash-up and dry with a quick rub of light vegetable or nut oil.

Speaking of leopardwood:

Salad servers

Everyone's favorite, and the wood utensils we all think

of automatically:  salad servers.  But we've never seen any

in this modern a style or a more magnificent wood.

(By the way, all these utensils come in different woods.  If

you don't see what you want in the online Shop, just

ask us at the Gallery; we are happy to assist you.)

Oh, and this:

Spreader

We're about to use that word artists dread hearing when we

describe their art but we can't help ourselves.

This spreader is CUTE!

(Also handsome.)

Made with jatoba and purple heart, we actually NEED this

to appear on our cheese board.  YEARN is also a good word here.
Perfect for soft cheeses and festive spreads, the woods

 are a perfect blend of drama and beauty.  Artistically put together,
one might say. A small piece of art, to cradle in your hand.

And finally, where has this been all our lives:

Pie server

A Peruvian walnut pie server.

Aaaaah yes.  This is very beautiful.  The wood is by
its nature very dark but it has a lovely grain.

There is also a cake server in the family and a number of

other lovely utensils and creations in the Tiplin Taylor line.

We try to keep a good selection in the Gallery and online

but they tend to go quickly, so stock does change and remember,

these are basically all one-of-a-kind.  Be assured, however,

that we keep them available.

SO:

If you are still looking for that wonderful, last-minute

gift; if it has to be special; if it has to be ART!!! and nothing less will do...

Fear not.

We have you covered.

Simply check these out online (you can purchase right there),

give us a call, or pop into the Gallery.  Our courteous staff is

ready to give you all the assistance you need.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

to you all!