VanEss Expressions at the Edina Art Fair

We're going to take a few weeks off from posting here in order to get ready for the Edina Art Fair.

The Edina Art Fiar (at 50th & France) is Minnesota's 2nd largest art fair and a summertime tradition since 1966. An estimated 80,000 people visit the Edina Art Fair each year to enjoy a day of fun & entertainment and check out the variety of creative works offered by the 375 different art vendors. See original paintings, stonework, photography, engravings, watercolors, glasswork, jewelry - and our favorite, woodworking.

If you are in the Twin Cities area on June 5th, 6th and 7th (Friday - Sunday), come on down and check it out; and please, stop by Booth 422 (just west of the Edina Theater) and say 'Hi'.

Hand-Turned Wood Vases & Bowls

VanEss Expressions offers a variety of hand-turned solid wood vases and bowls. These are turned on one of our three lathes. A lathe is something similar to a potter wheel where the clay spins while the potter forms the vase/bowl shape with his/her hands. A lathe holds the wood horizonally (instead of vertically) in a chuck. It spins much faster than than a potters wheel, and various cutting tools are used to carve out the wood to the desired shape. And of course, instead of a pile of reusable clay remaining to redo or make changes; a turner is left with a pile of wood chips (which, obviously, you cannot re-apply).

We classify our turned wood items as either glued up lumber or solid stock. Glued up is board lumber which has been kiln dried (as you would find in a lumber yard). We purchase our wood 'rough cut' to give us as much usable material as possible, then plane and sand ourselves. When we glue up different boards, we either match up the coloring and grain so that the seams are nearly invisible, or set the wood perpendicular to each other to create a unique visual effect. When we designate a piece as multi-wood, it is also glued up board lumber - but it is combining different types of wood. Depending on the way the boards are glued up and the shape of the piece, we can acheive very unique natural color patterns.

Unique Handcrafted Large Multi-Wood Bowl

Solid stock is a solid chunk of wood such as a branch/trunk of a tree. We get our solid stock from local healthy trees that have come down during storms in the fall or winter. We do not use branches that come down in the spring or summer because they are prone to desease and fungus. Even though most wood-turners like to turn 'green' wood (wood with a high moisture content) because it is much easier to turn, we prefer to thoroughly dry the wood prior to turning to reduce the chance of cracking later as it drys. This is a very slow process taking from 6 months to a year and a half depending on the size of the piece and type of the wood. Solid stock wood is also full of surprises, and while we try to create a piece to highlight these unique 'characteristics', there are many pieces that ultimately end up unusable.

Unusual Handmade Solid Stock Wood Urn

Well, that gives you a brief idea of what wood-turning is. I will go into more specifics in future posts. Please Click Here to see some examples of th different wood vases and bowls we have made in the past, and our website to see the wood bowls and vases currently available.

Boxes ~ Decorative Handcrafted Wooden Boxes

We make wood boxes in a variety of sizes and for a variety of purposes. Jewelry boxes are usually segmented and are lined. Book boxes are typically custom orders for the size of the book and have a ribbon lift. Keepsake and Memory boxes can come in any size depending on what is to be stored. Tea boxes are also segmented to sort the different types of tea bags. Recipe boxes are made either to house 3x5 or 4x6 recipe cards. Cremation or Burial boxes are always custom orders to the size of the cremation ash container.

Our wooden boxes come in all of our standard woods - Oak, Walnut, Ash, Hickory, Maple and Cherry; and can be custom ordered from other woods. Our wood boxes have either a lift-off or hinged lid. Our multi-wood boxes are extrememly popular expecially with the box-joint corners.

Box-joint corners - using contrasting wood, the result is quite dramatic; using same or similar, the result is subtle but still visible.

All of our boxes have box-joint corners, although we can custom make with standard mitered corners. Box-joint corners are similar to dove-tail corners - considerably stronger than a miter joint, and with a unique decorative appearance. Box-joint is where each side is cut with 'fingers' that interlock with the adjoining sides.

On the inside of the box, the sides are always perpendicular to the bottom, but on the exterior the sides can be angled to give each box a unique decorative appearance.

Please check out our Wood Box Gallery for examples of the different wooden boxes we have made in the past.

Clocks - Desk Clocks, Mantel Clocks & Wall Clocks

Desk and mantel clocks were some of the first items we offered on our website - clocks similar to those we had made and given as gifts to family. Over the years, VanEss Expressions has made a variety of unique desk, mantel & wall clocks; but by far - our most popular design is what we call the 'pendulum'. This is a 2 piece design where a separate bob shaped clock housing hangs from 2 graceful arches. We try to keep a couple desk clock versions available on the website, though have custom made scaled up versions as more of a mantel clock. We have made these out of all of our standard woods, and combinations of different types of wood. An east-coast university orders these as awards for their Fellows. Their's are made of Walnut with Maple accents and a gold clock insert and have additional space to accept a plaque which they apply.

Our 2-Piece 'Pendulum' Desk Clock - Hickory w Walnut

We tipically use clock inserts in our desk and mantel clocks. Inserts are self contained, battery operated units which are inserted into our wood designs. We also use what are called clock movements - which power separate hands. Since these movements need to be accessable to change the batteries - they are tipically used in wall clocks where the movement would not be visiable. These clock movements are also used when someone wants a pendulum (a traditional pendulum) clock. We have used one clock insert which has a pendulum - very different. And we have made a couple very large mantel clocks and one grandfather clock which were key-wound.

Custom Walnut & Maple Mantel Clock w Pendulum Insert

We make a variety of original wall clock designs. As with our desk & mantel clocks, we like to combine different types of wood for unique, natural color variations. We also receive many request for custom wall clocks. A local government organization orders several variations of a Minnesota shaped wall clock. They also use them as awards and apply a plaque. And right now we are working on an Indiana shaped Walnut wall clock which will have a plaque applied and given as a retirement gift. All wall clocks are hung from a 'key-hole' routered into the back of the clock. This is a much more secure and flexible system than add-on mechanical hangers.

Oak (stained & natural) Minnesota Shaped Wall Clocks

Obviously we are woodworkers, not "clockmakers", but have found there are many people out there that would like a desk, mantel or wall clock, for themselves or as a gift - but something unique - not what you would find at your local department store. If you are looking for an unusual yet functional gift that will be appreciated for many years - please visit our On-Line Store, or Contact us with your ideas.


One quickie Update. We have received our booth location at the Edina Art Fair - Booth 422, on 50th just west of the theater. The Edina Art Fair runs Friday - Sunday, June 5th, 6th & 7th. If you are in the neighborhood - please stop by.