Buckeye & Blackwood

[Mark Cothren]

The body is about 6" x 3" and overall the piece stands just shy of 11". Lacquer on the buckeye and the blackwood is just buffed. Comments and critiques welcomed.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/markfromark/woodturning/BuckeyeBurl02.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/markfromark/woodturning/BuckeyeBurl01.jpg

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark,

What a beauty! The simplicity of the forms of the finial and stand really give the piece a feeling of gracefullness. The buckeye is typical naturally beautiful buckeye and the form of the body is dead on! The finish allow the woods to be the stars of the show.

Nicely done Mark.....as we have come to expect from you! Nicely done.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow that is beautiful Mark. I do like the stand and finial.

[Alan Trout]

Mark,

Overall I really like the piece. I really like the simple graceful form of the body as well as the pedestal and finial. IMHO it is harder to do a simple form that looks good.The one spot that I personally think could look better is to blend the top of the body into the lid. I think it would flow better. But I would not turn it down for my collection. Very well done!

Alan

[Norm Zax]

Hole in one !

[John Keeton]

Mark, where is the natural edge!?!?!:D Oh wait, we can count the one on the void! I just knew the king of NE wouldn't let us down!

Nice work on this one - I like the simplicity of it. While there are things I may have done differently, much of that is simply a function of individual taste. As always, you do exceptional work, with fine detail and tool control. I like the finish on this one - very appropriate.

[Richard Madden]

Excellent piece, Mark. Personally, I like the transition from the top of the form going into the finial base...something I need to work on. The first thing that hits me when looking at a piece is the proportions, and I'd say you nailed this one. The finial and pedestal height work perfectly, and the diameter of the base also...just right . I see some where the base is too small. And then that buckeye looks great! A+++

[Jeff Moffett]

Beautiful piece, Mark! The long gradual curves and clean lines of the finial and stand really set this piece apart for me.

[Greg Ketell]

That is Really nice!!

Normally I don't like the coloration of Buckeye Burl but paired with the blackwood it looks really good. Thanks for broadening my views.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mark - as always - beautiful work!

I have to admit that I had to study this piece for a while. We are all aware of the rule of thirds and this piece breaks that rule. Still, when you study the piece - it works! I really like the simplicity of the pedestal and finial! Personally, I find it much harder to get the curves right - when that is all there is - and you nailed these!

Really like the color combination and the small voids! Any time you can keep the natural character of the wood - it adds to the piece!

Very nice work Mark! Thanks for sharing!

[bob svoboda]

Very nice. The pedestal and finial are very graceful and definitely add to the beauty of the piece as a whole.

[Mark Hubl]

Nice work. The buckeye is a beauty. I like your contemporary lines of the finial/pedestal work.

[dan carter]

Very nice job. It has alot of character with a touch of class.

[Jim Burr]

As soon as I saw your name on the posting Mark, I knew it would be amazing. You never disappoint. Bravo sir!

[Roland Martin]

Extremely nice piece, Mark. If I could do that, I'd do it just like that:D. Seriously, I really like the lines of the finial and pedestal, it doesn't take away from the main event. Nice work!

[Roger Chandler]

Beautiful work Mark! The simplicity of the lines has already been mentioned, but that is part of what impresses me about this one. Also the complimenting pedestal and finial give the piece a balance, even though the finial is tall, but on this particular one, it works really well. Just an overall excellent piece. Congratulations.

[John Beaver]

Mark, I'm not usually a fan of "sticks" and finials, but this one really struck me. The clean lines, balance and color contrast are spot on. Nice job.

[George Guadiane]

Like everyone else, I like the colors the form the the finish and the simplicity of the finial and foot, they all blend nicely into a delightful vision.

(BUT - get ready - here it comes)


I think the foot is a bit small. I would like to see it 20 to 30% bigger. As it is, it LOOKS a bit tippy.

I wouldn't change it, but for future pieces, I'd consider that aspect... AND, it's just my opinion.

[David DeCristoforo]

Personally, I think this is one of the hardest forms to pull off. They often end up looking awkward or ungainly no matter how well crafted they are. This one is "in proportion", allowing the eye to take in the form and beauty of the wood without being disturbed by a lack of grace. One might suggest a shorted finial or a bit taller pedestal but the way the two elements relate to each other here offsets any sense of imbalance this might cause. I also like the lid. There are some pieces that benefit from the blending of the lid into the overall form to create a continuous line. But I like the way this one stands on it's own and makes it obvious that it is a lid.

[Kieran Kammerer]

Very beautiful and inspirational piece Mark. Love the natural voids and the overall look of the piece.

[Baxter Smith]

Very nice. I like the color combinations and the clean lines. The burl is a neat piece of wood and nothing you have done distracts from it.

[Jon Nuckles]

Very pretty and well done. It is far better than I could do, so I don't know that I should offer any critique, but I would like to see the pedestal flare out a bit more just above the foot so it echoed the proportions of the finial more closely.

[Tim Rinehart]

That is a beaut! As has been said, I also like the clean lines in this one. Well done.

[robert davis]

witha rang of one to ten. i give this piec a twelve

[dennis kranz]

So many good things already said. The whole piece is great. Well done.
Dennis