Oak Crotch & Epoxy
Pitcher Vase

"A crotch is where magic lives — the wood's most dramatic figure, captured forever in resin and form."

The wood for this piece comes from an oak crotch — the junction where a major limb branches from the trunk. This is the most prized and visually spectacular part of any tree, producing wild, swirling grain patterns called "feather crotch" or "flame" figure that simply cannot be found anywhere else in the wood.

Once rough-turned and dried, the natural voids and checks that form in the crotch wood are filled with hand-mixed epoxy resin. The resin is carefully poured in multiple passes to prevent bubbles, then allowed to fully cure before the piece returns to the lathe for final turning and shaping into the elegant pitcher form.

The pitcher silhouette — with its graceful curved spout — transforms the vase into something that feels both ancient and modern. It's a functional sculpture: stunning as a standalone decorative piece, or beautiful holding dried botanicals, grasses, or a single dramatic stem.

The final piece is hand-sanded through 12 grits and finished with multiple coats of food-safe hardening oil, bringing out the full warmth and depth of the oak grain while protecting the wood for generations.