turning green

A friend recently gave me a large mesquite log that had been freshly cut, or "green." Turning green is great because it is easier on the tools, easier on the turner, and cuts down on the dust. The downside is that you have to turn the log fairly quickly after it is cut, because wood has a tendency to split as it dries.

These are two hollow forms that got turned from that "green" log. They were turned to finish thickness. The platter was from a piece of dry mesquite that had been in the shop for a long time. The number (must have been running through my head, because the short one is 9" wide x 7" high, the tall one is 9" high x 5 1/2" wide, and the platter is 9" wide. The pencil is just in the picture for reference.

The platter has 3 coats of oil so far, and the hollow forms do not have any finish put on them yet.

Christmas gifts

The "whir" coming from my garage has died down for a few days. I had been frantically turning some gifts to give, and some that people had asked me to turn. Anyway, I was in production mode for  a little while, and now I can go back to turning a few things I have had in my mind for awhile.

This set of salt and pepper mills were actually an experiment. My step-daughter wanted a set for her boyfriend's parents, and didn't give me any other parameters to work with, so I took it as a license to experiment. This is what I came up with. They are both from Ash, and both made with the same technique, although very different results.

I have been experimenting a lot with color, and would like to explore it more. The new year holds some exciting ideas I have floating around, so we'll see what I can make of them. Merry Christmas everyone!

Show Season

Well, it's show season in the Phoenix area. Unlike most parts of the country, most of our art shows/craft fairs, etc., are held in the winter months. When other parts of the country are battling snow and ice, we are just coming into prime outdoor season.

This is an urn I made for a friend's dog. It was a special request for a very unexpected passing of his English Bulldog. I used a piece of Olive I had and filled some cracks with Turquoise. For the top, I used Texas Ebony. I know it's hard to see, but the small "finial" or top of the lid resembles the top of a fire hydrant.

As Christmas approaches, my sales tend to go way up, as well as special requests for items. This is a two edged sword. As great as it is to be able to spend time in the shop, it can get a big hectic making sure I am meeting everyones needs. It can also be a big overwhelming turning a bunch of different things. My preference is to turn one of a kind, larger artistic items such as hollow forms and decorative bowls and platters. However, in this economy, they are sometimes cost prohibitive for people to buy. I find most shoppers are more attracted to the less expensive items such as bottle stoppers and small vases. This isn't a bad thing, turning is turning. I just have to make sure I keep enough of those items in stock.

Finally, my peppermills are really taking off, and more design ideas are flowing fast. That is a good thing. However, finding antique doorknobs on the internet has gotten more expensive, which drives prices up.

Christopher Robin and I

I took my kids to see Winnie, The Pooh at the theater a couple of weeks ago, and the strangest thing inspired me. A friend had given me a piece of Walnut, and here we are. It is about 8" high. The center band is bleached, and then the whole thing is finished with orange tinted shellac. I then gilded the top with Dutch Metal (imitation gold leaf) for the honey. Not an exact replica, and I need to re-take the photo without so much glare, but the kids love it.

A new market?

I have been working with pool balls a little bit. I have done some peppermills and small boxes, and working on a few other designs. Yesterday, my mom2 (long story) called and said she met someone through her work that was interested in my stuff. He owns a billiard's store, and is interested in having putting some of my stuff on consignment.

I think this not only opens up a new avenue for me, but has inspired me to try a few new things, and hopefully a new niche. I love it when I get motivated.

Wood haul, and changing times

I've had my some of my work in a shop in downtown Glendale for awhile now. A few things have sold, nothing spectacular, but I was beginning to wonder if it was the right venue. It was more of a curio shop than anything else, and they had some of my pricier items. I went in there yesterday to have some engraving done, and they informed me that they were changing the format of the store. They were going to get rid of all their consignment stuff and concentrate on their cookie business. Well...problem solved, they want my stuff out after Christmas.

Well, OK, I can handle that. I wasn't sure it was the right fit anyway, it was just a start. I walked into another shop a few doors down, and immediately formed a new relationship. It is more of a "mens" curio shop, with unique gifts for men. They are interested in seeing many of my items, and I will be making an appointment next week to show them some shaving sets, etc. Keep your fingers crossed.

I also spent the day chasing down wood. I got some Sissoo and Acacia from a friend in East Mesa, and ended up getting some Alligator Juniper from my uncle who was down from the eastern part of the state.  That species of Juniper is named for it's bark, which resembles Alligator hide. It is a very soft wood, and as such, is actually hard to turn and get a good finish. Most turners don't like such soft wood, and I admit, I really don't either. However, between the smell when I am turning it, and the finished product, which I think is beautiful, it wins. At Right is a pic of a previous Alligator project I did.

Time is not on my side

I don't know about other artists, or even other turners, but my creativity runs in spurts. I feel like I really need to capitalize on it when it comes, because it will be gone soon. I have even resorted to carrying around a small notepad that I can jot ideas down on as they come, because I know they will be long gone by the time I get home. Even then, sometimes the sketch does not translate to what my brain really wants to do.

Lately, I have been experimenting on a few pieces of Walnut a friend gave me. I also have several different peppermill designs down that I need to beta test before I demonstrate them for my club in September. I also  have been kicking around an idea I got from Stephen Hatcher, a turner who does a lot of design with crushed mineral inlay and combining that with some of my own ideas.

Here is one of the experiments. It didn't turn out exactly like I had expected, but close enough to spark some new ideas and give me a different direction to go in. It is hollowed so it is very light, and has copper pipe and Turquoise Inlace (an imitation turquoise- epoxy type material) inlaid at 8 places around the base.