GAVINBRUNTON

KAWAU ISLAND

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

To give someone a wooden bowl that will be enjoyed and used for years to come, made with my own hands from a natural and renewable resource gives me a real sense of satisfaction.

Lasting a lifetime

My wooden bowls are carefully made from hardwoods so they will stand up to a lifetime of daily use and, with some basic care and love, will look all the better for it.

Environmental highlights

  • All my bowls are made by hand with wood that is sourced locally, most often literally within walking distance.
  • All the wood comes from trees which have been damaged in storms or are being pruned for other reasons.
  • My small scale production does not overtax the local forest environment. In fact, being processed on site and having all chip and micro-organisms returned to the soil builds humus, captures carbon, and adds to the ecology.
  • I use quality tools that will last a lifetime (a good number of my carving chisels were 2nd hand when I purchased them and will one day outlast me).
  • The woodturning studio and bowl gallery are solar powered, as is our off-grid “solar house”.
  • All finishes I use are food-safe non-toxic plant-based oils.
  • The only byproduct “waste” from the production of your wooden bowl is wood shavings. Some are used for packaging of your bowl but most head straight into the orchard, garden and forest to be used as mulch.
  • No plastic products are used in any of my packaging.
  • Even though I always aim to make bowls that will last a lifetime, accidents do happen and sometimes wood does crack. If something has happened to a bowl, I can repair it so it’s life with you can continue.

Each bowl gives you a connection to one of the world’s most important natural protectors of our planet, our native forests.

As a counterpoint to the consumerist & disposal mentality, I love the idea of using wooden items that you can look after and repair, that will last long enough to build an attachment to – giving you joy for years rather than just during the process of buying it……

I never used to think about myself as being particularly green. I guess I assumed everybody else had the same appreciation and concerns for our precious world.

I take pride in knowing that what I create is as good as I can make it. So my wooden bowls can be used and enjoyed for many years to come.

Breaking free from our consumerist mentality

Discover how breaking free from consumerism starts with choosing durable, sustainable items—like handmade wooden bowls crafted in New Zealand.

NZ Made Mother’s Day Present She Will Love

Looking for the perfect NZ made Mother’s Day gift? Surprise her with a handcrafted wooden bowl — sustainably made from native timbers, engraved, and personalised just for her.

Why do I burn perfectly good wooden bowls?

Burning wooden bowls does seem a little crazy but it does several positive things.
One of the most obvious is that it creates a striking contrast between the burnt and unburnt areas, this contrast actually makes the unburnt natural wood more striking and noticeable sitting on the kitchen table.

What is ebonised wood?

Ebonising is a beautiful way to turn wood black, as the transformation happens within the wood itself rather than sitting on the surface like paint. The natural grain and texture remain visible, giving depth and character to the finish. Unlike stains or dyes, the rich...

The Best Fruit Bowls: How to Store Fruit and Keep It Fresh Longer

What sort of fruit bowl looks good? Does the type of bowl affect how long fruit lasts? Or is it just a simple question of deciding what size fruit bowl is right for you? There are lots of questions, but for me the best one is: what sort of fruit bowl helps the most...

Bowl Art Gallery & Turning Studio

Gavin has his home, turning studio, and bowl art gallery on Kawau Island. Their house and gallery, called Tŷ Pren (“Wood House” in Welsh) is just that: made of wood - a combination of hardwoods, macrocarpa and plywood. Everywhere you look is wood with wooden floors,...

The process of making a wooden bowl

Finding the wood... I'm incredibly lucky that I live on an island covered in native trees: with the coastline dotted with Pohutukawa, hidden valleys of Puriri, and Kanuka as far as the eye can see.  I find most of the wood I use after big storms have brought down...

Kawau Island Attractions & Transport

What's special about Kawau Island? A lot of people are interested when I tell them I live on Kawau Island. Kawau is one of the many small islands that dot the east coast of the, much larger, North Island of New Zealand. We have some 90 permanent residents, which makes...

A family heirloom in the making

What will you give your kids? Hopefully, your time and your love but, like photos from your childhood, there's a place for keepsakes too. For each of us it will be a different thing: a lovely wooden chair or a casserole dish, but it’s something we will really cherish,...

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