One of My Latest HF's....Pierced Madrone...

[Wally Dickerman]

Now, on to the serious side. This piece is about 9 inches in dia. The walls in the upper portion are 1/16th in thick, as they must be for piercing. The rest are about 1/8 in., so it's very lightweight.

Madrone burl (stabilized) is just about my favorite wood to turn. Smoooooth

[Bill Bolen]

What a sweet piece Wally. I love that swirling comma mouth. Piercing sure looks to be first rate as are all your others. Guess you can tell I love your work!

[Kathy Marshall]

Beautiful piece Wally! I love the form, the wood is really nice and as always, I love your piercing. I really like how you used a larger opening and then carved it to accent the piercing, just shows that hollow forms don't always have to have tiny openings. I think I'll add that to my list of things to do.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Wally.....incredibly beautiful! As we have come to expect, I will add.....

[Jim Burr]

The ying/yang thing is cool and I like the size! How is it to finish?

[Brian Brown]

Beautiful piece Wally. *I especially like the visual balance between the positive and negative space in the pierced design.

[Dan Forman]

I'm not ordinarily a big fan of piercing, but this is very well and tastefully done. Very nice piece, and lovely wood too.

[John Keeton]

Wally, I really like the concept of this piece and while it isn't usually done, a top view would be a nice addition. The wood is beautiful!! I ended up with a couple of pieces of stabilized Madrone burl and I am still contemplating what to do with them. They have a very similar appearance in figure and color to what you have here.

Without doubt, Wally, you have one of the widest assortment of styles in your repertoire of anyone I have seen! I guess 70+ years at it will provide that breadth. I should have started earlier!!!:D Doubt I will make that mark!

[Richard Kennedy UK]

Lovely work The wood is wonderful and the piercing very smart!

[Toney Robertson]

Wonderful piece as I have come to expect from you and you always deliver.

Toney

[Tim Rinehart]

Wally, I really like this. It has an antique look that makes it quite warm. As my eye travels around the somewhat nautilus shape, I start by seeing the larger openings and then they go smaller, and I think I'd like to see the 'tail' of the shape get ever smaller on the piercings, proportional to the piercing band width. A top down view, as JK suggests, may make this easier to see if necessary or not.
Really well done piece that I'd be happy to have come up with!

[Thom Sturgill]

Very nice, as always Wally. I've only turned one piece of madrone burl. I had the blank in the shop for two years before I had turned it and was amazed at how much it moved.
I love the piercings, but the yin/yang opening reminds me of a piece of mine (punky spalted maple) that had a catch and tore part of the opening. I thought about doing something similar, but as a new-ish turner my skills were not up to it so it sat on a shelf for a year until I figured out how to finish it - it had torn the tenon off. I had to use a recess and it ended up with an opening about half the diameter of the piece. I'm sure this was NOT the reason for your design!!! I always enjoy looking at your work.

[Scott Hackler]

Nice piece Wally. I expecially like your pierced pieces that have multiple pierced patterns. I think that really adds visual interest. Following the taper around the top I think I would have liked to see the smallest "tail" of the piercing end with a pointed hole similar to the other side of the "ying". Again, thats very picky, but there seems to be a very slight (one hole) gap, that would have completed it better for me.

But that being said.... very nice and thanks for the reminder of the differering patterns, I am about to start a piercing piece and I may incorporate that technique.

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a beauty Wally. Wood and finish has a warm rustic look to it.

[Roger Chandler]

Top shelf Wally! Great design on the pierced opening........that madrone is really nice!

[Eric Holmquist]

Great design and execution.

The only suggestion for improvement involves the piercing just to the right of the teardrop. It may be just the angle of the photo, but it looks like the piercing to the left of the teardrop follows the line along the bottom better then the right side. It might be possible to slightly adjust the triangle to the right of the teardrop if I am right.

[Baxter Smith]

Very pretty wood and finish Wally, but the design of the piercing is what makes it a standout to me.

[Dick Wilson]

Hi Wally, Nothing to add that hasn't already been said. Beautiful wood and work.