"Stoppered" Bottle

[David DeCristoforo]

Not much to say here about the wood. I mean OK... it's a nice piece of wood... claro walnut... hard to go wrong with that. And not much going on in the way of originality. So it's all going to come down to "the form". The "bottle" is 10.5" tall (add another 5" for the lid/finial) X 6" at the widest point. Finish is "just" wax.


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Ok... let er rip...

[Eric Holmquist]

Nice surprise on the double ended finial! The form looks nice

[Steve Schlumpf]

David - you underrate yourself!! A number of words came to mind when I viewed this piece; graceful, sleek, formal, regal... but the main idea being that you have created something that may be simple in some of the basic elements but when they all come together in a completed form... you have a winner!

In case you didn't catch the drift... I like it! Thanks for sharing!

[John Keeton]

Well, that is just about as clean as it gets! Very good form, great flow up thru the lid/finial, and excellent lines in the finial. Claro walnut is a winner in anyone's camp, but you did this piece real proud, David!

[Dan Forman]

Beautiful in all respects!

Dan

[Dennis Ford]

This is different from the things I remember you turning before but is equally well done. A great vase.

[Wally Dickerman]

Now that is Perfection!!!...

[Ted Evans]

Beautiful wood, exemplary workmanship, wish I could do finials half that impressive.

[Sid Matheny]

Talk about under statments! In my eye this is one of your best works!

Sid

[Bernie Weishapl]

Guess I am not seeing what you are seeing but that is a beautiful piece. Love the double ended finial.

[Bill Bolen]

Exquisite piece DD. My favorite of all your post's. That finial is perfection for this form.

[Baxter Smith]

My first thought: Wheres the steek? Second thought: Thats sleek! Final thought: If you get the lines right, simple is all it takes.

[Roger Chandler]

Very nice form, David........the finial looks very fragile..........like it could easily break if one was not careful with it.........delicate describes it.

[Doug W Swanson]

Jeez, you don't have to be so hard on yourself ;)! It may not be original but it sure is beautiful!

[Brian Effinger]

Nothing to rip here. Beautiful form and wood, good proportions and an elegant surprize finial. I really like the ball at the top of the finial too.
It dosen't get much better that this. :)

[Mike Cruz]

I, unlike everyone else here, see a big problem with this piece...it isn't made of Ambrosia Maple. ;) Actually, nice to see some wood OTHER than that right now. Beautiful work, David.

[Curt Fuller]

That's really pretty! It's a little hard to see for sure, but are the top and bottom parts of the finial mirror images of each other? Is the entire finial one piece of wood? That's just really something.

[Kathy Marshall]

Can't find a thing to pick on that one. It's a beauty! The claro walnut is really nice, the form is right on and the double finial is just sweet.

[Bob Rotche]

Beautiful work. The curve looks perfect, the wood and finish are top notch and the finial size, proportion and workmanship looks spot on. Can't imagine anything that could be improved.

[Steve Vaughan]

I love the HF, but I really love that finial! It's just a perfect piece, I think...great example precision for me to shoot for.

[Michelle Rich]

OK I've put the ripping chain on my chainsaw..... the finial is spectacular. the flow from finial to vessel is great. The wood is lovely. The form is graceful. sorry to have had to rip this to shreds, but I just feel gnarly this morning!! :-) :-)

[Nate Davey]

Can't add to whats been said already, I love the symmetry of you finial. Your eye for form and proportions hasn't failed you.

[David DeCristoforo]

Thanx to everyone for the kind remarks. But as far as a "critique" goes, it looks like I'm going to have to do it myself. At least I got a little help from another creeker who commented via PM:


"Nice piece, actually great for most of us. Not up to your usual standards. The curve on the form is a bit weak, a little flat. And when I blow up the top with the finial I see a too many flats spots not a consistent beauty of a curve. The bottom of the onion is a bit to fine, looks like it is going to break."


Not going to reveal the identity of this critic but I appreciate the comments and wanted to share them. This is only my second deep hollowform (if you can call 10" "deep") and it is a lot better than my first which I posted pics of in August 2010 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?146114-First-quot-Real-quot-Hollow-Form&highlight=)


One thing I learned very quickly is that these things are anything but easy. It's one thing to look at forms like those posted by Andy DiPetro or Joe landon or Keith Burns or Steve Schlumpf or any of the many other turners who do this kind of work and think that it should be simple to get the lines right. But it's very tricky to get it "right". This one was more of an experiment to see how different my approach would be after I had another year of turning under my belt. That is one reason I did not commit any "exceptional" material to it. I'm not unhappy with it but I have already decided on several small changes to the next one. I have a beautiful piece of claro burl that I will use to the updated version.

Here are two modifications I have already decided upon. The flow between the form and the base of the finial needs to be refined. It's subtile but if you look at the left side (modified) and the right side, the difference is pretty dramatic. Also, the base needs to be slightly smaller. This is not so dramatic but it does make the form appear "lighter on it's feet".

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I am also thinking that the finial on the next one needs to be a bit more "exaggerated". I'm still working on tweaks for that. In answer to questions about the finial, it is, a "mirror image" at least as far as I am capable of accomplishing. Making two exactly matching elements is not something I have mastered yet! It really is not as fragile as it looks. At the "connection" between the bottom of the "onion" and the flair below, there is almost 1/8" of wood and it's ebony which is quite strong.

Thanx again for all the comments!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

If you want to pick fly crap out of pepper, have at it. If you choose to refine this form go ahead but don't do it because you think it has faults. The next one will just be a slightly different form but not necessarily more perfect. This is a sweet form and you hollowed it through a relatively small hole for the size. No collar, just the original hole. I like it and if you revise it. I will probably like that one also but not necessarily more.
faust

[Mike Cruz]

Faust couldn't have said it better. Not that I am an expert, by any stretch of the imagination, but the left side does not look "better" to me, just different.

[Bob Rotche]

Wow. Very interesting when you modify it on the computer like that. I can definitely see your points though still outstanding as is. What program do you use to do this? Seems like a useful learning tool.

[Alan Trout]

David,

I agree on the transition, but I think the base is fine. If you want to roll the bottom edge a little to provide a little lift that should work as well. Having personally done pieces with small bases I have started to tire of them, I think it draws the eye to the bottom rather than the whole piece. JMHO. However I will say it is a really nice piece as is.

Alan

[Rich Greinert]

David, thank you for posting the critique and the modified image. It helps me "see" the piece and I believe that developing this critical ability will help other turners and myself improve our work as much, maybe even more than time spent putting tool to wood at the lathe. Thank you.
Rich

[David DeCristoforo]

"What program do you use to do this?..."

I use Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

"I think the base is fine. ..Having...done pieces with small bases I have started to tire of them..."

I think that is where the artistry comes in. Getting the base "just right" is very "tricky". Too big and the form looks graceless. Too small and it looks (and is) unstable and, as you mentioned, the eye is drawn down to the base rather than up to the top of the form. My alteration on the base is very subtile, just a slight refinement of the curve. The main thing will be to "sweeten up" the transition into the finial.

And Mike is correct in his statement that sometimes things that look "different" do not necessarily look "better"

[Russell Eaton]

David I like the works you post. I do have a question, do you turn you finials with a skew? If not what do you use? I did have to recheck the author of this post, I was not ready for a hollow form. Nice job, and thanks for showing.

[Wally Dickerman]

David, as has been said, your "new" form is different but not necesssarily better. If there is an improvement that I can see it's in the curve to the foot.

The perfect form is very elusive. I have turned hundreds of hollowforms. Only once in a while can I look at the finished form and say...I got that one right... Most are close but not quite there. To the makers eye at least.

Seeing those little flat spots in a curve is difficult. Running your hand over the form often finds them better.

[Alan Trout]

The perfect form is very elusive. I have turned hundreds of hollowforms. Only once in a while can I look at the finished form and say...I got that one right... Most are close but not quite there. To the makers eye at least.

Wally, Very well said and very true.

David, It still looks great.

Alan

[Curt Fuller]

If you want to pick fly crap out of pepper, have at it.

Faust, that one really cracked me up!:D:D:D

[Tim Rinehart]

I empathize with you on the challenge of a slight graceful form, but you really nailed this well. I agree with most comments about the subtle tweaks...as this is a fantastic piece with a nice attitude to it, and anything you do may tend to tone that down. It has a presence. Well done!

[David DeCristoforo]

"...anything you do may tend to tone that down..."

Well, I'm not doing anything more to this one. I'm just thinking about the next one. But thanx for the kind words and to others who commented as well. It's very much appreciated...