Painted Rose

[John Keeton]

This one has been a troubled piece from the get go. It is spalted holly - a wood I really like to turn and which normally produces a nice finished product. When I got into this piece it was a little punky, and still damp - but only in places, related to the rot, no doubt. I knew then I was going to have movement issues.

Nonetheless, I decided to continue with the piece.

I turned the pedestal and the finial - and, mis-marked the location for my finial bead/cove!! Not happy with that one!

At this point, it seemed like a good piece for some experimentation. I applied several coats of WOP, and then used black acrylic paint and airbrushed some fading - similar to what you see here, but more contrasting against the white holly. However, I misjudged the fragility of the acrylic over the WOP and damaged the black areas - three times!! Lesson noted!! After the re-paintings, I just wasn't happy with it at all.

So, I chemically stripped the piece, but ended up with a muddy look - and, even more distortion - particularly in the lid.

I began to develop an attitude with this piece. It simply was resistant to becoming a finished turning, and I became even more determined to win!

I decided to use red dye (toned down a little with some black and brown) and some black dye to accomplish a rendition of the original idea of faded areas. It is not a piece with which I am entirely pleased, but the important consideration here is....I WON!!:D It became a completed turning.

One of my granddaughters came in the shop and commented that this piece, and a cousin to it in cherry, looked like roses. So, this one became the Painted Rose. About 9.75" tall x 3" wide, finished with WOP and triple buffed. The pedestal and finial are African Blackwood.

I am interested in knowing what you think about this form - aside from the incorrect finial. I did three different sketches - all similar, but with different proportions. This is the one first chosen, but after completing this one, and already being disappointed with the projected outcome, I turned another of cherry that is in the "finishing department."

This ogee thing is just about worked out of my system, and perhaps I can move on to something else!!

Thoughts??

[Steve Schlumpf]

Classy all the way around and well worth the additional effort to see it through to completion! Great form and I love the color variations! Ya done good!

[David Reed]

John:
As always, you have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. You have mastered the subtle curves of the ogee form and I very much like the way you mirrored the ogee in the lid. The blending of the dyes adds so much to the character and I cannot see how you could improve upon the pedestal and finial. I assume I will soon find this out.

[Bernie Weishapl]

John I would say you won the battle with that one. Love the form and the color. Well done John.

[Curt Fuller]

It would be impossible for me to not love this piece. I've attempted several myself and I love the tall "parfait dish" form. I'm wondering what you see as incorrect in the finial. I like it and the pedestal and I think they both go really well with the overall form. The color is great too and the spalting still shows through. I think it's very nice.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'm in total agreement with Curt. It would be hard for me to not love this piece! It's incredible!

[gary Zimmel]

The way it is colored it looks like you somehow put a little light bulb in it to illuminate it...
Beautiful work as always John.

[Brian Effinger]

I began to develop an attitude with this piece. It simply was resistant to becoming a finished turning, and I became even more determined to win!

It is not a piece with which I am entirely pleased, but the important consideration here is....I WON!!:D It became a completed turning.

Stubborn, grumpy old men! Sheesh! :p

I really like the form of this - very elegant. I like the finial too, but I feel that the larger/lower captured bead should be closer to the lid so that it will balance with the pedestal. I'm not crazy about the color - it looks "muddy" to me, what ever that means - but this may be something that would be better seen in person. Over all, well done.

At any rate, I'm interested to see what you move to next. :)

[Richard Madden]

I like it, John, and I too, wonder what you see as incorrect in the finial??? Looks durn good to me.

[Mark Hubl]

John, I think you won as well. The form and the color really work. I don't see a problem with your bead. I think it is fine, looks to be about a third of the way up, ok in my book.

[John Keeton]

Thanks, guys - hope to have the cherry one posted this weekend, so then you can do a comparison on the form and let me know which you like best.

Brian, the color is a bit muddy and that was from stripping the previous finish. Some of it shows thru the dye application, but it looks much better than before!!

I like it, John, and I too, wonder what you see as incorrect in the finial??? Looks durn good to me.


John, I think you won as well. The form and the color really work. I don't see a problem with your bead. I think it is fine, looks to be about a third of the way up, ok in my book.Richard and Mark, the bead is just a bit high, and that extended the cove underneath higher than I would have liked. It seems to lack a bit of flow and lift at that point.

[Lupe Duncan]

Wow great looking piece John. Really nice.

[Tim Thiebaut]

Well the first thing that came to mind when I looked at this was...spectacular. This is an incredibly beautiful piece John, I love the viens that run up from the bottom and are even in the lid, beautiful.

[Dick Wilson]

John, Congratulations on beating this one into submission. Don't ya just love it when you feel the wood fighting you as you are trying to put the lump of wood on the lathe in the very beginning:confused::rolleyes: And of course, it goes south from there:mad::mad: I take great pride when I go through all the trials and tribulations similar to what you went through and it ends up good. This a very striking piece, as usual done with a lot of skill. It ranks right up there with the other excellent pieces you have done. Unless you tell the story no one would ever know. ssssshhhhhhhh

[Roger Chandler]

Well John.........you have another winner on your resume for sure. The form on this is great..........I think your finial is well done, and do not see anything there except the possible lowering of the ball in it closer to the lid, if that was important to you, but to my eye it looks balanced. Beautiful pedestal as well. Regarding the form itself.......the rim area seems like it could have been a hair thinner if you had wanted to do it that way, but a lid needs something to sit on.

You went through it with the finish on this one.....and you really put a nice result together...........how would this have differed in look from your original intentions? Looking forward to the other one that is in the works.

I am glad you share not only your results, but also the journey you had to get it this way..............I know it is a pain to do, but if more of us could post some work in progress photos, then most likely the rest of us could learn more as well, but it is hard to turn and take pics at the same time. No complaints, just much appreciation.

[Dan Forman]

Looking at the final result, one would never guess at the difficulty you went through to achieve it. Glad you didn't give up. Quite lovely.

Dan

[Wally Dickerman]

A very classy piece John. It would be good without the coloring and shading but that is what really sets it apart. I tend to agree with you on the finial. But as it is it doesn't detract from the piece.

[Fred Perreault]

John, it appears that your perseverence paid dividends. The color does look like it is internally lit. But, when you can "push out" items like that please, spare us the whining. :) :)

Of course, the back story makes the piece all the more interesting.

[Rich Aldrich]

This is a real nice piece. It looks like the red is glowing - like there is a light inside.

[Jason Silva]

What i wouldnt give to spend a day/week/month learning from you. I absolutly love your work.

[Russell Eaton]

I see nothing wrong! It looks spectacular, and can find no fault with the finial!

[John Keeton]

You folks are really just too kind! Thanks for all the comments.

Regarding the form itself.......the rim area seems like it could have been a hair thinner if you had wanted to do it that way, but a lid needs something to sit on.
Roger, the lid on this piece was actually turned with the form - similar to one of the others I posted. I used two chucked pieces jammed together. It fit perfectly - until it distorted during the stripping process. It no longer sits dead flat, and that slight bit of distortion caused what you see.

A very classy piece John. It would be good without the coloring and shading but that is what really sets it apart. I tend to agree with you on the finial. But as it is it doesn't detract from the piece.Wally, I really appreciate your comments!! The original intent was to show off the spalted holly, but the muddiness from removing the prior finish would not sand out - thus, the dye. Because of the movement and distortion, in person, this piece does not have the quality that I strive for. But, as with every piece, there are lessons learned!!

[David E Keller]

I think it's a cool looking piece... As mentioned before, it does have the appearance of being lit from within which I find appealing. Glad you stuck with it through good and bad because it turned out nicely.

[Scott Hackler]

I like this one a lot John. The colors are really nice and almost have that "burnt" feel.

[Ron Stadler]

Hard to be a critic when you never done one yourself, looks really nice John.

[Harry Robinette]

John
I think everything that could be said about this one has been said so,really nice piece and what everyone else said.As always very fine work.

[Darren Jamieson]

I am more then sure that I could not have done this any better even if I tried twice:) All kidding aside your being to hard on yourself if you don't like this one. Great form, and the color is something I am just going to have to learn how to do.