Lidded Bowl

[Reginald Burgess]

I haven't posted anything for a while. My wife's just finished chemo, so there have been other duties to tend to. This was turned with two different pieces of Brizalian Cherry, finish is Antique Oil and Beal buffed. The finial is ebonized walnut (shoe leather dye), finished with CA gule. The bowl measures 7.75 inches and is 1.75 inches high. Overall height is 5 inches. Feedback, please.

[David Drickhamer]

Nice looking bowl, I really like the wood.
Hope everything works out for your wife.
Dave

[Reginald Burgess]

Thanks, Dave. Time will tell now.

[Toney Robertson]

I really like the bowl and lid. Fine work.

But the finial is too clunky for me. I would think either a ball or a thinner, taller finial.

Toney

Good luck to your wife. Mine has already had her turn with the big C but she did not have to endure chemo.

[Ryan Baker]

Love the shape and the color. Nice job. I like the finial just fine. I certainly wouldn't make the finial any taller.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking bowl. Nice looking wood. IMHO the finial I would have made maybe a 1/2" longer and more delicate.

[RL Johnson]

I like your piece just fine, only suggestion would be to not put the finial on a raise platform. I believe I would like the curve of the lid to not be interrupted. I too think the finial could be a little thinner and I also like the tear drop shape better than the cone shape but all in all a very nice piece. Keep up the good work.

[Brian McInturff]

Well, here's some feedback for you. I love the bowl. The low profile is really a form I like. For me I would like a taller finial. I asked my wife and she liked the short finial. Said it flowed nicely with the low profile of the form. She's not a turner but like any woman she knows what she likes. So Reginald, with all the postings about critiques I'd like to ask you to critique your own piece. Would you, if you don't mind, tell us what you would do differently if you were to turn this piece all over again. I hate to put you on the spot and I apologize if I have.
My wife and I both hope everything with the chemo works out ok. Good Luck and our proayers are with you guys.

[Reginald Burgess]

Thanks to all for your feedback. I value what you have to say. And yes, Brian, I am willing to critique my own work in light of the conversations currently going on.

Like some of you, I would have made the finial a little longer and thinner. However, to be honest, this is only the second fininal I've turned and it started out to be longer, but . . . a "redesign opportunity" shortened it a bit. Secondly, I don't yet have an eye for what will look best when finally placed on the piece and that leads me to another thought. In retrospect, I would also eleminate the "chimney" effect that the finial sits on. Now that it is all done, I think it would have looked better simply following the flow of the top's curve.

One thing I value about getting feedback from other turners is that I am learning what to look for, especially in terms of form. I've only been at this for a little over a year and really am persuaded that seeing the piece as others see it is a great way to learn.

Thanks again for looking and responding.

[Jim Kountz]

Really nice look bowl, and great form. You did very well with this!!
Hope your wife has a speedy recovery!!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Reginald! Beautiful color in the wood!

I like the low profile form and the way you recessed the lid into the bowl. Finials are always a matter of personal taste and worth experimenting with. Seeing as how this finial also functions as a handle for the lid - you don't want it to long or thin. I do agree with you that the form may look better if the finial was part of the curve instead of resting on it - but I have seen some lids where the effect of having the lid rise up to meet the finial works quite well. Check out Keith Burns and his segmented boxes:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=113180
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=95696
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=91806

Best of luck to your wife! I hope the chemo does it's job with minimal side effects!

[Richard Madison]

Reginald,
That's a beautiful bowl and lid with smooth curvatures and no flat spots. And your eye for what looks good has just improved. Almost everyone's first few finials are a bit "clunky". Mine certainly were. Sometimes it helps to make 2 or 3 finials and see which one looks best with the project. A couple of my "reject" finials have found homes on pieces that they "matched" much better than the one for which they were originally intended. Make 6 or 8 finials, trying for delicate and elegant rather than fancy-azz. You may be amazed at how fast they get better. Just some thoughts.

Edit: Pretend like I wrote this before Steve's response. Keith's finials are superb.

[Reginald Burgess]

Thanks again to everyone. Make a number of finials and having them on hand sounds like a really good idea. I can probably learn more by making a bunch of them rather than one-at-the-time as needed.

[Mike Peace]

I really like the shape of the box. I agree that the finial should flow from the top a little more smoothly. I think the finial needs crisper detail. You have to be careful not to sand away the crisp edges.