Too Long!!! (a spattering of recent work with some "older" work of mine)

[Rick Markham]

Hey friends, been too long since I posted some of my work, school has become exceptionally busy for me this semester (overworked and under paid :D) and I have been converting my spare bedroom in my house (very very slowly mind you) into a studio/gallery/photography studio area basically an all purpose room for many of the mediums I am interested in. Long story short, it was also the room with my photo set up, which has been taken down for several months, so I haven't had much of an oportunity to set it up and photograph my work (at least not any photos in a "formal" setup worthy of posting) I have been taking a photo class from an amazing professor, and one of our projects involved bringing in an item to be photographed in a professional studio set up. Which we will then turn into a commercial advertisement (this is a final project.) We got to choose the object, so I brought in a bunch of my hollowforms I had "just laying around" the house gathering dust. We set up the exposure and got to play with a professional full frame dSLR with light boxes etc. The background is an 18% gray background that is intended to be cut out in photoshop, So I apologize, my background isn't really made to be "viewed" in these pictures, but it gives me a chance to show you guys some of my newer forms, mixed in with some older (and my first) hollowforms. I'll try and catch the details with the pictures, so bear with me please :) (I'm rusty at this :eek:)

As Always, I appreciate and welcome ANY and ALL comments and critiques!

From left to right: My first hollowform, and first finial. (Claro walnut burl, American holly finial); "Phoenix" one of my more recent forms turned after the passing of a dear friend, This was a whole Manzanita burl harvested after the wildfires a few years ago in California, 3/4 of it was charred at least 3/4" deep, the shape was largely determined by the burl itself, and the mouth is a natural edge of part of the charred area of the burl. Finally, Maple burl Amphorae recently turned (part of a pair)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/IMG_1854.jpg

Left to Right: "Beast" Madrone burl (from beauty and the beast contest); Boxelder burl (my 3rd or 4th) hollowform (not sure why I never posted this one before); Maple Burl amphorae (turned shortly after the "Beauty" from the Beauty and beast contest. This one is one of my favorites, the finish is WOP, and that is the natural color of the Maple, It is truly an unusually beautiful piece of Maple (IMHO) the color boggles my mind, there are even area's that are orange peel orange. I have another blank from the same burl... I'm hoping it shares the same color and characteristics as the first piece.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/IMG_1856.jpg

From Left to Right: "Kathy's vase II" Mesquite turned from the half of the remaining piece of mesquite that Kathy Marshal so graciously sent me, Thank you again Kathy ;) Does this piece qualify as a "natural edge"? That's the bark in the center of the form, and yes Scott... it's thin enough... you can see between the pieces of the bark :D I REALLY like this one! (but I'm biased:eek::D) In the center is "Beauty" from Beauty and the Beast contest, Maple Burl with a finish of WOP. And Finally, Cherry "drunken" form with American Holly finial, this was a prototype, I finally turned a finial for (my second finial) I call it a "drunken" form because it has no bottom, so it rocks on it's base.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/IMG_1858.jpg

Thank you for taking the time to look, I hope I at least mildly amused some of you :D

[John Keeton]

Quite a collection, Rick!! Looks like you have been busy with something other than school. I am glad I don't have to pick a favorite, but if I did, I would lean heavily toward the amphora on the right in the middle pic. However, I can't see the form of the amphora on the right in the first pic and it looks interesting.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Rick,
They're all nice and the photographs show them off beautifully. Your hollow forms can stand along side anyone's. The ones you finished glossy are my favorites but I am sure that is because I am partial to a glossy but not plastic looking finish. We haven't heard anything about the new lathe. Maybe I missed it. Were any of these turned on the Robust?.
faust

[Jim Burr]

These are beautiful Rick!! I have an clay Amphora dated 10AD by the Israeli Antiquities Authority, yours really looks great!. The Manzanita is amazing...I stopped looking after I saw it. The drunk ones are fun...we have a round bottom bowl we keep mixed nuts in...they are priceless! Keep it up!!!

[charlie knighton]

good work, you have been busy, thanks for sharing

[James Combs]

Looking good Rick, thanks for showing.

[Allan Ferguson]

Some very pretty and interesting pieces and nice photos.

[Doug W Swanson]

Nice variety! I don't think I can pick a favorite!

[Rick Markham]

Thanks Y'all! John, that amphora in the middle is one of my favorites too, the one laying down in the first photo is another of my favorites. I will have to take some better photos of it and it's twin when I can, it is currently in an art show, so if it doesn't sell I will definitely get a better picture. I think I have some "less professional" photos of it, so you can see it's shape. I'm not sure why I liked it laying down for the shoot, but I liked the composition of that photo in particular, and I am using that one for my final product photo project. (that's an alliteration/tongue twister)

[Rick Markham]

Here's a few pics of the pair, and a pic of a small claro walnut lidded box, I made for the LOML.

This is the first one, in front of it's "other half" I took this to show a friend how I try to preserve the entire height/width of the blank. It's about an 1/8" shorter than the rough blank and pretty darn close to exact in diameter at the widest point. After this pic I turned the other half into it's twin (fraternal twins LOL)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/007-8.jpg

Both together :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/005-8.jpg

here's a pic of one of them


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/018-4.jpg

Small lidded Claro box for my love ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/014-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/013-5.jpg

[Steve Schlumpf]

Good to have you posting your work again Rick! I like everything but find your amphorae vases really stand out! Keep up the good work! Looking forward to seeing more!

[Harvey Ghesser]

You do beautiful work, Rick...

[Kathy Marshall]

Nice collection of pieces Rick! I'm glad I don't have to try and pick a favorite, they all look great.

[David Reed]

Very nice collection of pieces here. I also like the amphorae and have a few under various stages of readiness and a couple more on the 'drawing board'. I like the maple burl center, last set; better if the base were just a bit beefier but quite elegant.

[Michelle Rich]

hey Rick. thanks for the amusement!!! :-) very nice collection of work. All have something super about them.

[Thomas Heck]

Nice work!

[Ken Glass]

Rick,
Great work, all of it. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite, but if pressed, it would be the the first picture left side Claro Walnut W/ Holly Finial. I like the emerging onion shape on the Finial. Way to go on all of them. Post a little more often will you?

[Rick Markham]

Thanks everyone!

Ken I will try and post more frequently.

Faust, I have to try and wear this Powermatic out first (or find a way to outgrow it) before I can trade it in for a Robust. Until then I will have to be satisfied looking at Steve's pictures of his! One day, maybe, I will get a chance to own an American Beauty.

[Baxter Smith]

Very nice collection of forms Rick and the wood is beautiful! Glad you had time to post them.

[Roger Chandler]

Nice forms all, Rick...........boy, I like that pair of vases..........just really nice!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful Rick. Nicely done.

[Rick Markham]

Thanks everyone.

David Reed, sorry I missed responding to you. That maple amphora was my first one, and I was attempting to emulate a heart like shape, I knew the base would end up small, but I kind of liked where it was headed at the time. All of these turnings are largely "experimental" or prototypes for me. I'm about 9 months in on hollowforms. I like how the small base works on the tall slender forms, If you look at the other short fat amphora (the maple with the crazy coloration) the form evolved a bit, and the base is much less pointy, (I'm writing all of this realizing that the angle is probably wrong to see much of it's base LOL) and very slightly larger in diameter. It works much better that way IMHO. The base is probably only slightly larger, but the shape of the form makes it appear, much more stable. It's one that's also in a art show currently, and if it doesn't sell (I kinda like it, so I kinda hope it doesn't :o) I will take a pic of the bottom. (I've become fascinated with designing the bottoms of my pieces) Some are simple and some aren't, and I've started working on several aspects that I have been using as a "maker's mark" of sorts.

The pair of amphorae, were part of an exercise for myself, I'm trying to maximize my efficiency while producing pieces. What used to take me a week, now is taking me only hours to accomplish. I believe the first of those two took 4 hours from start to finish (turned, hollowed, finish sanded, tenon turned off, bottom turned, nub carved off, and finish sanded) Since I had the other half (which I contemplated dyeing, but couldn't bring myself to do it) I figured I would reinforce the whole exercise by doing it again. I think the second one took me only about 3 hours. Both were finished with tung oil. I've been using ALOT of WOP on my turnings, and I guess I have been on a bit of a texture over gloss kick. The Manzanita burl is also finished with tung oil. Now I need to stop blathering and go use some of this time to turn something so I can try that WTF that's sitting on my table saw :)

[Russell Eaton]

Rick I don't want to try and pick a favorite. I like all of them. The finish on the cherry in the last picture is amazing. Ya done good.

[Alan Trout]

Rick,

Those are all really neat pieces. I sure do like the colors of the manzanita.

Alan

[jwjerry w kowalski]

Very nice Rick, I like them all, but I love the colors of the manzanita altough I can't pick a favorite, they are all exceptional.