Larry Oestreich. (Dick Swaim photos) | ZOOM |

        At first, it seems curious that Larry Oestreich, who's been at the bowl-carving trade for only seven years, should have a spot at the Appalachian Festival, running through Sunday at Coney Island. After all, the event traditionally celebrates music and crafting methods handed down from generation to generation.

        But, consider: Respect for Mr. Oestreich's work runs so high, that when the masters at Berea, Ky., the crafts capital, need a 1-2-3 in bowl making, they summon him from Camp Washington. He's the experts' expert.

        And it's pros like Mr. Oestreich who made festival co-ordinator Debbie Bays of Clermont County break out in a sweat — in midwinter no less. She's in charge of making certain every artisan has a spot, from quilter to potter.

        “We started out saying we'd have 150,” she says. “We advertised in November, December and January in the Sunshine Artist, a monthly trade publication for people who do shows, and we got 320 applications, some from as far away as California and Texas!''

Some of his creations | ZOOM |

        What to do?

        Squeeze, of course.

        “We got so many good ones, we went back and rethought the layout,” she says. Organizers made room for 180 exhibitors.

        The mix includes a hatmaker from New York; a puppet maker from Athens, Ga.; cutting boards fashioned in Calimesa, Calif.; feather art from Townsena, Mont., and Mr. Oestreich from our back yard, who lists himself as a bowlwright.

        Though the term doesn't find its way into Webster's, it has taken over Mr. Oestreich's life. A year ago, the 52-year-old gave up working in sawmill and timber framing work to fashion bowls full time.

        “Since there are wheelwrights and cartwrights and housewrights, I figured there ought to be a bowlwright,” he says. “I haven't seen the word used historically, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a real word.”

        A PBS TV show with Roy Underhill inspired Mr. Oestreich to pick up an ax. That and his father, who did restoration work in his woodworking shop.

        “I like taking the raw material, a tree, and turning it into a finished product. And I like bowls because exact dimensions aren't critical,” Mr. Oestreich says.

IF YOU GO

• What: Appalachian Festival   • When: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. today and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. • Where: Coney Island.   • Tickets: General admission $6, seniors $3, children under 12 $1. Parking $3.   • Information: 251-3378.

        To him, a road-widening project is a bowl opportunity. He prefers what he calls “working green,” carving and scraping his bowls from freshly cut trees.

        “As soon as (a tree) hits the ground, I carve,” he says. Most of the wood comes from salvage trees. “I use locally available wood — poplar, sassafras and catalpa.”

        He then puts to work a glossary of woodworking tools — ax, hewing hatchet, adze, scorps, travisher and spokeshave — to shape and finish the bowl into elliptical shapes. He dries them, then finishes them with walnut oil (safe for contact with food) that penetrates the wood and hardens it. The process can take six months or longer.

        “I have a mulberry bowl that's taken almost a year,” he says.

        Mr. Oestreich and many other exhibitors will be demonstrating their crafts during the festival. There will be many hands-on booths where folks can make something and take it home.

        This year, through the Creative Cottage Quilt Outreach Project, volunteers and festival-goers will be making a quilt. The project was started by Creative Cottage of Madeira, which makes about 400 quilts a year for charitable organizations.

        Festival guests who bring in fabric scraps or batting for quilts will get $1 off admission. Anyone can stop by and participate in the quilting — no sewing experience is necessary.

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