lidded form (critique requested)

[Sean Hughto]

So I was roughing a cherry bowl and came across a rotten branch inclusion that effectively immediately made my bowl a funnel if I continued as planned. I decided to make the bottom the top, and create a sort of closed form vessel. I let that dry a while and re-turned it to what you see below. I then added an ebony lid and spalted maple ball. I don't love the overall result, though I am pleased with certain aspects. Anyway, trying to turn lemons into lemonade, I thouhgt I might get some thoughts from you all with more experience (and taste!). Let me know your thoughts on where it goes wrong - and what works to your eye that might be incorporated in the next piece. Thanks!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5118935263_15ba4676fc_b.jpg

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sean,

That may be some of the best lemonade I have layed eyes on..... I really like the form...the embellishments...the finish and the wood combination works well too.

Nicely done.

[John Keeton]

Sean, this is very different, but I kind of like it! The execution is superb - very crisp details, and the ebony inverted lid is beautiful.

Not sure I understand the initial faults that led you to the result, but it certainly turned out nice.

The ball doesn't do much for me, but seems to fit in an odd sort of way. I think perhaps a flatter knob (closer to the shape of the form) would do more for me.

[Steve Vaughan]

Sean, I think it looks just like you planned it! Just so you know, we ain't telling anyone that this isn't what it was suppose to be. That thing is really great looking and I think you make awesome lemonade!

[David E Keller]

Nice save. I absolutely love the lid shape... I have added that idea to my 'steal and pass off as my own' list.:eek::D The spherical knob is an interesting idea, and it reminds me a bit of a golfball sitting on a tee. The only thing that I might change is the sharp transition on the main form... It seems a bit low on the form for my tastes. All in all, it's a pretty cool piece. Did I mention that I love that lid?

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Sean
I really like the fourm. I also like the contrast of the ebony lid. However I think the ball some how looks out of place.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Funny how we have different likes, I do like the bowl very much, but I don't think the lid with the ball actually adds to the total, still good looking but I'd prefer it without this lid, nice work Sean :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Isn't it interesting how different tastes very among individuals?

[Don Alexander]

pretty good lemonade :)

heres a thought on the ball /finial
how about a thinner stem that extends through the ball and 2-3 inches or so above it

and thats all it is ..... a thought hehe

uh oh those finial things might being growing on after all :eek:

[Roger Chandler]

Sean,

First of all, what a save! The form does not conform to the 1/3 -2/3 ratio that everyone speaks of, but not every form has to do that.........this form works! It is a nice piece.

I like the lid, and as far as the sphere, one thing that might have been acceptable would to be to elongate it, [kind of a flame shape] but I like the sphere as well, and the spalted look of it is good.

A concave [I meant convex] lid would have been an option, but it does not mean it would have been any better.

I think that a turning should not have to conform to some arbitrary rule in order to be considered a good turning.........my eyes and my sense of design and my fondness for symmetry all tell me this is a good piece.....so I say congratulations on a truly nice piece!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Sean that is a beautiful piece. Just me but I don't care for the ball on the lid.

[Greg Just]

love the grain of the cherry but I'm not crazy about the lid. As others have mentioned, perhaps the ball shaped differently. Thanks for sharing.

[Baxter Smith]

Each part is very well done Sean, but for my tastes the inverted lid doesn't quite measure up. Not sure if it is the color(which is beautiful) or the inverted part(which is nice too). Maybe if it only had one of those two differences the overall look would be a little more appealing but thats just to me. A very well turned and finished piece at the least!

[Scott Hackler]

Sean, this looks superb....except for the ball! If you were to loose the ball and make a knob that mimics the shape of the HF. Same wood as the HF if possible. That to me would "seal the deal"!

[Richard Madden]

Sean,

First of all, what a save! The form does not conform to the 1/3 -2/3 ratio that everyone speaks of, but not every form has to do that.........this form works! It is a nice piece.

I like the lid, and as far as the sphere, one thing that might have been acceptable would to be to elongate it, [kind of a flame shape] but I like the sphere as well, and the spalted look of it is good.

A concave [I meant convex] lid would have been an option, but it does not mean it would have been any better.

I think that a turning should not have to conform to some arbitrary rule in order to be considered a good turning.........my eyes and my sense of design and my fondness for symmetry all tell me this is a good piece.....so I say congratulations on a truly nice piece!

I agree with Roger.

[Norm Zax]

All said and debated, that ball just demands fondling!

[Sean Hughto]

Thanks everyone for the input. I look at this piece as a learning experience. I tried some new things and achieved some aims, and fell short on others.

Personally, I don't love the cherry "flying saucer" much. It is thin and uniform (though some tearout on the inside at the farthest internal diameter that I was too lazy to completely sand away) so that is good. But I don't like how the curves interact.

I like the inverted lid, and will certainly try that again. I was afraid a dome on this would reinforce the flying saucer aspect. I also liked the inverted form as it reminded me of a splash type form (see pic below).

I agree that the ball is too large. It was somthing lying around from a scrap practice turn that I sort of liked so thought I'd try. It's attached with a floating dowel (not glued) so it would be easy to substitute different knobs.

And John, what happened was that I came across a rotted out section bigger than a golf ball that had been buried in the tree that pretty much fell right where the tenon would have been for the bottom. So I reverse mounted the blank and turned a tenon on the other side and hollowed out where the rot was (which became the rim). Hope that helps.

[John Keeton]

Sean, your explanation did help - for some reason I had in my mind you had already partially hollowed the piece from the other end, but it clearly appeared to be one full piece with no glue line. Just couldn't grasp what had happened.

To me, the lid makes this piece - very nice curve to it, and you are right, it keeps the form from taking on too much mass.

[David DeCristoforo]

The thing is, it's all a question of perspective. A golfer would simply love this as is. I'm not a golfer but the suggestion of the game is unmistakable. The inverted lid adds a very interesting and unusual component. The form itself does have a bit of an "upside down bowl" look and my instinct is to want to turn it over. Overall, while this might not be the "best interpretation" of this direction, it is certainly one worth pursuing. I could see this as, say, a small bedside jewelry box. Things like earrings could be placed in the small "bowl" created by the inverted lid.

[Steve Vaughan]

The golfball thing came to my mind the first time I saw it. Then I wondered a little about the way the top is and being a collector of dust. But, reading David's post made me think, how about just placing several golf tees of different colors in that little concave area, and fill it would a dozen or so balls and it would make for a really, really thoughtful gift. It is a really cool looking piece!

[charlie knighton]

very nice, i like the edge accent, just picking but the ball is nice but wish a better color fit