in love with THE SCULPTED SCOOP

Functional art that sweetens life’s daily moments.

By ELIZABETH EDWARDS / PHOTO BY SARAH PESCHEL

AFTER retiring as a neurologist, Richard Foa was drawn to working with wood, but not in the traditional, hand-hewn way—he was lured by the elegant, sculptural shapes created by woodturning, which allows for soft, clean curves and spheres created by manipulating wood against a lathe.

Not only does Foa use a lathe to make wooden sculptures, but he also loves elevating utilitarian items such as a simple ice cream scoop and bowl. This scoop ($25) is made from Brazilian cherry, while the bowl ($40) is crafted from Michigan maple and coated with black milk paint, an old-fashioned and completely natural product.

Whether decorative or functional, most of Foa’s works are made from locally sourced hardwoods. “We have a host of nice woods here that people around the world envy,” he says.

Find Foa’s work at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Traverse City. Sorbet from Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate in Empire.