Interview by Merry Beth Freienmuth — Last Updated: February 11, 2025

Green Lotus’s boutique offers local artisans a place to display and sell their artwork. This month’s featured artist is my husband’s cousin, Perry Walters, from Kansas. His artisan bowls are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces, hand turned on a lathe in his barn. Perry was very excited to know his bowls were going to be displayed at our wellness center, and we had a little chat about how it all began.

MB: Perry, your bowls are all so different. Where do you get the materials to create them?

PW: Well, our home sits high on a hill overlooking our heirloom farm near Tonganoxie, Kansas, which was purchased by my great grandfather, Philomen Jones, from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1882.  Over half of the farm is native timber that has never been tilled. 

MB: What are the different types of wood you use, and what inspires your designs?

PW: The native woods that I commonly use include walnut, honey locust, hickory, ash, and juniper (red cedar).  The inlay materials are turquoise, fossils, bones, wood dust, deer antlers (which have been naturally shed), seashells, gold, mother of pearl, and deep-water coral. The imperfections within the wood that emerge as I turn it provide inspiration for the embellishment of my work.

MB: How long have you been turning bowls?

PW: I retired from dentistry in 2000 and began turning wood as my retirement hobby. I use only trees that fall from wind or die from natural causes in my art, as well as bone and antlers found on the farm.  My old dentistry drills and tools come in handy to open up areas for the inlay.

MB: Thank you for sharing your pieces with us – hopefully they will find their way into new homes.

PW: Thank you! I really enjoy the challenge of creating something beautiful from what nature provides. These pieces are the last from my collection, as my 84-year-old arthritic hands can no longer tolerate the detail work needed for my craft.

A selection of these beautiful bowls can be found at both Lakeville and Mendota Heights. These bowls are priced to reflect the time and craftsmanship that went into creating them. If you see one you love, make us an offer; Perry wants them to go to loving and appreciative homes.

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Merry Beth Freienmuth, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Merry Beth is director of Green Lotus' Yoga Alliance-certified school and a senior faculty member. She has been practicing yoga since 2000. She found the physical asana practice to be the perfect transition for her aging body that could no longer tolerate a classical ballet practice. She taught ballet for more than 15 years, then she began teaching Body Flow, Pilates, and yoga in 2002. Merry Beth also has experienced the more subtle benefits of yoga; it has given her the strength and balance to navigate a full-time career in corporate America and to raise her children into adulthood. Now the sole owner of Green Lotus, she devotes her time to teaching and supporting the business.

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