yew tealight holder

yew is one of those woods that demands a little respect.

the dust can be irritating and potentially toxic, so sensible precautions are essential when turning it. but beyond that, i have a real fascination with the tree itself.

yew rarely seems interested in growing in a straight line.

its branches reach out at curious angles, often beginning surprisingly low, and what appears to be a single trunk can actually be several stems that have grown together over many years. beautiful, complicated and slightly unruly—perhaps one reason i like it.

it also makes obtaining straight logs rather frustrating. fortunately, that lends itself rather well to the smaller pieces i’ve been making.

this seasoned yew came from my growing collection of timber, and as soon as i looked at the log i could see the dramatic transition within it. the pale, almost creamy sapwood moves sharply into rich orange, red-brown and purplish heartwood.

you can see something of what might be revealed. but you never quite know until the cut is made.

for this tea light holder i wanted to move away slightly from the previous forms, introducing a gentle taper and leaving some of the natural bark around the edge. it seemed appropriate to allow a little of the tree’s original character to remain.

i also used a tapered glass insert, which brought another small technical challenge. the glass needs to sit comfortably within the wood while allowing for the heat and slight expansion that comes with a lit tea light.

simple in appearance. not quite so simple in the making.

what i particularly enjoy about yew is that sense of contrast—the pale outer wood against the much richer heartwood, the smooth turned surface alongside the roughness of the bark.

the finished piece feels like a small reminder of the tree it came from.

not entirely predictable. and all the better for it.

height 7cm diameter: 7.5 cm