Much of the wood I work with comes from my own neighborhood: trees that came down in storms or to clear a lot, that would otherwise have been hauled off or burned. I bring it back to the lathe in my shop and turn simple forms, often from wood that is already spalted or partway into decay. Then I weather those surfaces by hand, eroding them until a piece looks less turned than unearthed, like something that spent a long time in the ground before I found it.