"Blue on Blue"

[John Keeton]

Another experiment in leaf patination! Thanks, again, to Jeff Myroup who was kind enough to loan me a couple of videos including one of his very well done demo for his club.

This one is curly maple with a holly finial. 7.5" to the top of the form, 11" to the tip of the finial, and a tad over 5" in diameter at the shoulder. Dyed with blue Transtint, followed by Cobalt blue Procion MX dye. The collar is integral to the piece (not a separate piece of wood) and is dyed black and then masked off and sprayed with black lacquer. I then airbrushed some blue into the area to be leafed so that some of it is visible in the voids of the leaf, although it doesn't show in these pics.

The finial is dyed black, and sprayed with black lacquer, with blue airbrushed on from the tip to about 1/3 the way up. I have done a lot of very thin finials, but wanted to try a little different approach here. This one is quite a bit larger in mass than I would normally do, but the vase form I used is heavy in the top. I felt the finial might work better with a little mass, so I replicated the form upside down in the onion, and similarly in the tip. Different, for sure, and I am still not sold on it.

The leaf work is not quite there yet. I need to work on my composition, and the patination process definitely takes some practice. I thought I had enough blue hues on the silver leaf, but the shellac killed some of them. Should have let the acid work a bit longer. I like the concept, but need to work on the process. It really does take some practice, and patience is not my long suit!

Finish is General WTF. About 7-8 coats of blue tinted WTF, leveled with 600, then about 4-5 coats clear, and leveled again with 600, then 1200, then 0000 and triple buffed.

As always, I do appreciate your comments - good or bad. I drift a lot in the forms I do, and not all of them work, so let me know your thoughts on this one. I know I will get the standard "tuck the base", but I just don't like that look. It is OK to comment to that effect - it just ain't gonna make a difference on the next one!:D

[Roger Chandler]

That is an absolutely killer finish John!!! This is in your top 3 for sure.................at the shoulder where the bead starts......that is a design choice for you, and it is so well done.............my tastes go for an uninterrupted flow to the base of the finial..............of course there will be others who like this better no doubt.

The fade to black is well done................the features of the form carried over into the finial is real artistry.........again as you noted, you wanted it bigger than usual......you succeeded, and it fits nicely...........my tastes..........I still prefer a little more slender onion, but the bead is fantastic on that finial!

Patination..........me, personally, I can live without that..........I am one that just prefers the natural wood...........but this is such a fine piece..........

I congratulate you on a superb piece of work and I love that color blue......my favorite color in the spectrum for sure! A+++!

[David DeCristoforo]

OK.... first off, I love the blue color and the finish. At first glance, it looks like glass. The form, while flawlessly executed, lacks the "flow" of most of what I have seen of your work. The transition into the lid is pretty abrupt and the finial seems a bit on the "fat side". As Roger already mentioned, these are design choices and do make for an interesting piece. It's just not as sweet as a "typical" Keeton form.

I am wondering about one thing. In a couple of the pics, there appear to be some small pits, apparently small inclusions that remained unfilled. For me, this kind of spoils the appearance of the otherwise pristine finish. Intentional?

[Mike Golka]

WOW! WOW! WOW! Mr. Keeton that is one fine Piece.

[Wally Dickerman]

Experimenting is great and a lot of fun. They often don't come out quite as planned but that's the way we learn.

I'm not a fan of coloring wood. Sometimes, as in Giles Gilson's or Don Derry's work it really works. I experimented with it for a while but decided I prefered the look of highly figured wood. Just my opinion, not a criticism.

I agree, the form as you've done it doesn't want to be tucked in at the bottom. I don't quite care for the abrupt changes in the curve flow in the upper form and in the finial. I do like what you're doing with the leaf.

Keep it up John, you're doing some great stuff here.

[John Keeton]

Roger, David and Mike - thanks! This one is different for me, but then most of them are. About the only thing I have duplicated in form is the typical SW pot, of which I have done several.
I am wondering about one thing. In a couple of the pics, there appear to be some small pits, apparently small inclusions that remained unfilled. For me, this kind of spoils the appearance of the otherwise pristine finish. Intentional?Compliments of powder post beetles, David. They are very common in maple around here, as well as other woods, and I have tried dealing with the holes in a variety of ways - all of which seem to make them more conspicuous. I have decided to ignore them!

[Dennis Ford]

I love the blue and the finish, it is beautiful. You did a great job on the form, I like this shape much more than those with a highly "tucked under" bottom. Not too sure about the finial, it is very well done but its design seems heavy in the onion.

[John Keeton]

Wally, I agree with your assessment on the abrupt changes. David D. noted the same thing. The intent was to have an area on which to do the leaf. Dennis, The vase, by itself, seemed very top heavy and the flared collar was much too prominent. I thought a finial might help in that regard, but I was afraid a more delicate finial might have the opposite effect of emphasizing the mass at the top of the form.

This is one of the very few pieces I have done without a sketch! Should have stuck to the pencil and paper method.:o

[charlie knighton]

i like your continual design experiments, the top of the hf with the gold leaf works for me, the final seems to distract, maybe something other than final, very nice piece

[francesco dibari]

... wonderful job .. am speechless ... :)

[Eric Holmquist]

There is a lot to like here, the color including the fade is great as is the finish. The overall form is great.

There is so much I like about this, I hesitate to offer suggestions, but...

Two things could be better, the bead that forms the collar could be a bit smaller, and not sure what the right term is, but on the finial, the sharp transition on the lower portion of the central onion seems distracting.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Another outstanding piece John, and I have nothing to add to the previous comments except that you forgot to turn off the shop fluorescents!:p;)

[Josh Bowman]

John, that is so over the top! It looks like it glows.

[Sid Matheny]

Well yeah I love it and as stated in another post, you are going to cause me to try WTF weather I want to or not.:rolleyes:

Sid

[Pete Jordan]

Very Nice!

I love the way you always look for new challenges!

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

John, I have worked with silver leaf & acid patination, there is diffidently a learning curve to it. I have never put shellac over it so i don't know it's effect on it. I have used a gloss oil base varnish over it with good results.
That said I very much agree with Wally, it's great to experiment with everything, form, finish, texture, ect. I'm not really sold on this piece but I applaud your efforts and experimentation.

[Bernie Weishapl]

John comments have been made which are similar to what I think. This is a beautiful piece John and your finish is superb. Love the blue color.

[Baxter Smith]

The blue is gorgeous and I like the way you are using the patination to accent the piece rather than dominate it John.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Love the blue!! I am also starting to get interested in the General WTF because it just doesn't get better then glass! The lid/finial combination is different on this one but it works for me! I like the elements! The patination is interesting and draws your attention to the lid.... but that blue sure steals the show!

Nice work John! Looking forward to seeing what you create next!

[Alan Trout]

John,

I really like the color of this piece very bright just the way I like them. Overall a nice piece.

Alan

[Curt Fuller]

Although I know you were trying to develop a different look with the area that you applied the silver leaf, I can't help but think how incredible this piece would have been without it. I actually think it's the bead that divides the beautiful blue form from the rest of it that spoiled it for me. But I have to hand it to you for trying something that different on such a nice piece.

[Eric Gourieux]

John,
I tend to agree with a theme that seems to be running through this thread. That is that the finial takes my eye away from the otherwise GORGEOUS form and color. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the blue. As a turner, I can appreciate the skill that it takes to replicate the form in the finial. You did this extremely well, but my eye is drawn away in a bad way. I think I would like a regular onion. I often like when the main form is replicated in the finial, but maybe this is too abrupt for me.

Not sure that I'm a fan of leaf like this. It may grow on me, but I can't say that I like it.

Did I say that I LOVE, LOVE the blue? The finish is fabulous. The bottom is fine untucked, in my opinion.

I, too, was wondering about the pits in the finish. Now I know. I turn a lot of maple, too - I guess because its plentiful here in the midwest, and I like most of the little additions (or deficits/defects) that our bug friends provide. I usually leave them alone.

Your art is always an inspiration. I've learned a great deal about the art of turning from your posts and comments. Keep pushing the envelope and trying new things, so the rest of us can become better turners. Thanks, John

[Kathy Marshall]

John, the color and finish on this piece is superb! I also like what you're doing with the leaf and patina. I think the main form looks great and I saw right off that the finial was a replication of the main form, I do agree that the bead at the transition from the main form to the top is a tiny bit distracting, but that is a minor nit. Overall I really like this piece and I have a feeling that it displays even better in person.

[Ed Morgano]

John,
Is this the piece that you were referring in your post to my thread? Did you bleach it? Or, was it just the cobolt blue that made the color so beautiful? I really love the color and finish. As to the form, I love the design in the top, the attention to detail etc. The shape....not sure.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John, it's important for everyone to remember that "beauty" in art is subjective. What one person really likes, another may find distasteful and neither individual is wrong...or right. It's subjective...a matter of personal taste or opinion.

I like everything about this piece. The distinct "border" near the top delienates the area where the leaf patination resides. It works well for me. The color and exection of the color I also like. I truly love the detail on the finial as it differs from the vast majority. The detail is different and fresh as compared to those that are so monotanously repeated on this type of form.

Even without the leaf, the raised border near the top of the "vase" portion of this HF works well again, because it's different....refreshing.

I like it very, very much John!

[Lee Alkureishi]

John,

I think this is a fantastic piece. The finish is incredible, and the leaf work is just beautiful.

Thanks for showing it off!

[John Keeton]

Thanks for all the comments! I doubt I will ever achieve a "signature look" as I really enjoy doing a lot of different forms and embellishments. That, coupled with lack of skill, will effectively limit my ability to achieve much notoriety in the world of turning. But, I sure will have fun in the process, and certainly won't get bored doing the same forms all the time. I know a lot of folks seem to achieve a high level of competence in a certain form, and enjoy doing them repetitively, but I don't think I am one of those.

The wood was not bleached prior to applying the dye, however, on the heartwood side, there is a definite green under tone caused by the more yellow tint of the heartwood. Blue is a tough color to achieve on maple because of that yellow, and bleaching it first sure would help. But, the bleaching is such a process, and I am lazy! Much of the brilliance of the blue was due to the tinted WTF used in the first several coats of finish. That is why I was so pleasantly surprised to find that it accepted Transtint dye. Tinting the finish adds a depth that is hard to achieve otherwise.

I first used the blue Transtint, but because of the yellow under tone, I went over that with the Cobalt blue as it is a cooler blue, less intense, and seems to have a little of the green under tone in it. That made the contrast caused by the heartwood a little less noticeable.

Thanks again, for looking and for being honest in your opinions on this one. I still kind of like the form, and the exaggerated finial, but it is always interesting to see what others think. In the few exhibits in which I have been involved, I find that the opinions of turners differ widely from those of nonturners - particularly the ladies that view pieces. It will be interesting to hear responses to this piece.

[Michelle Rich]

experimentation is how we all learn..some work, some do not. This is terribly well executed and a real eye grabber. on my monitor the blue is outrageous, and mixed with the black, it seems an odd choice. But, I think that is my monitor..in real life this may be wonderful. I love the finial..not all have to be a toothpick. The abrupt change at the shoulder does not appeal to me, but it's not a deal breaker either. Different is good! It is not my favorite JK piece, but it is still a beautiful vessel. Thanks for sharing your continued attempts with us,

[Russell Eaton]

John as I have sated before, I am not a huge fan of colored wood. That said this piece ROCKS. I understand why the dye is used, and the blue you used on this piece is perfect! I will comment on one other thing, if this is what you do without a drawing...KEEP IT UP. VERY nice job, and thanks for showing.

[Bob Rotche]

John, I think that overall this piece is outstanding and I again applaud you for thinking outside the box and being willing to experiment. As others have said, the blue is stunning. The shape of the vessel is perfect, including the base, and personally, I am fine with the top section for the leaf. The finial is flawlessly executed but certainly not a shape we are used to looking at. I understand your design choice on using a heavier finial to balance the form but can't quite decide if I like it or not. Have to look at it a bit more. My only real criticism would be that I would have liked to see a lot more overlap and randomness in the leaf pieces. All in all, you should be very proud of this piece that would look right at home in most galleries.

[Barry Elder]

Kudos for the form, the finial, the color, for the freedom to do your thing!!!

[Tim Rinehart]

Outstanding finish work, as expected. The blue is striking and rich...love it.
I commend your decision to not tuck as is so often done...this piece doesn't beg for a tuck in my opinion given it's otherwise more tallish form.
The finial is different for what we see from you, but to me, given the proportions to the form, it works well.
If I had any nit at all, it would be the size and volume of the leaf work. If using leaf like this over the wide area at the top, I'd like to see more of it. My other thought brings to mind a piece you did some time ago where you had slivers of copper imbedded in the black epoxy...which I really love and resonates in my mind when I see this piece.
Beautiful piece John, thanks for continuing to explore outside the box and sharing with us!

[Prashun Patel]

OK, ALREADY! I'LL BUY SOME WTF!!!

You really have a gift. What an amazing form, finish, detail. Blah blah blah.

[Prashun Patel]

Tim, what is a 'tuck'?

[Rick Markham]

Wow John! That is super blue, I agree it looks like cobalt glass. It is very different from what we usually see, I happen to like it's shape, but I like the top heavy small based forms. The finish and depth of color is really unbelievable. I will also echo the silver leafing reminds me of the copper curlies in a couple of your other pieces. I think it works well, even with the "fattie" finial :)

[Dick Wilson]

I never would have picked this one as a Keeton piece. Welcome to the world of color. I LIKE IT!!!! Bring it to the next symposium we meet at and put it in the Creeker swap.......if only I would be so lucky.

[Rich Greinert]

Very impressive piece John. Thanks for sharing the process as well as the images.

[Jeff Myroup]

John, Thank you for the compliments on the demo. I hope it helped. It is a great looking piece. It is very hard to achieve a random look to the leaf. I still struggle with it myself. I try to use different resists to get that random, non-square look. One of my favorites is waxed dental floss. I just randomly place the floss all over. Then leaf over it. Once you remove the dental floss, wait for the sizing to dry before removing the skewings. I have also found you can use a soft scribe to gently add breaks to the leaf. you just have to make sure you don't scratch the area underneath.

[steven carter]

John,

While certain aspects are different than the "norm", I find the whole to work rather well! The color and finish are superb, and I like where you are going with the gilding. A lot of effort certainly went into this one, and I for one think it was time well spent.

[John Keeton]

I really appreciate all the additional comments! I do take all of them into account when thinking about other work.

[Dave Mueller]

John,
Far be it for me to critique your work, but you know that if you ask an attorney for comments, they feel obligated to make some. While I am not an attorney, I do work with a lot of them.

As with all the other comments, the blue is killer. I agree with Ken about the need for a delineation between the patination area and the rest of the HF. I took David Mark's class on patination and have done some on my own. I find that the patinated area seems to look a little nicer if the metal leaf is contiguous rather than individual pieces. Gaps showing the underlying color are fine, but to my mind they should be in the minority and more like veins.

[Rich Aldrich]

When did you start turning glass? This is beautiful.

[John Keeton]

Dave, Rich, thanks for taking a look. Rich, I think the clarity of the blue was really enhanced by the tinting of the first several coats of the finish. I was very pleased to find that the General WTF would accept the Transtint dye.

I find that the patinated area seems to look a little nicer if the metal leaf is contiguous rather than individual pieces. Gaps showing the underlying color are fine, but to my mind they should be in the minority and more like veins.Dave, I think this is exactly the problem with the leaf application on this piece. As Jeff Myroup commented, using a resist of some dental floss or such other material to produce what you refer to as a veined look would be much better. I am beginning another vase form and will incorporate some of the thoughts expressed on this one. Thanks!

[Dave Mueller]

John,
I missed Jeff's comment, so please excuse the duplication. David used several things for "resist" in his class including string and plastic netting that produce comes in. He also just makes small tears in his leaf as it is applied, which leaves narrow gaps where the base coat shows through. His favorite is small fresh maple leaves that he sticks to the glued surface just before applying the first patination, which is typically silver. After applying the silver, he quickly removes the leaves and replaces them with real goldleaf. When he patinates the silver, the gold remains unpatinated, leaving a bright gold leaf on a silver patinated field. I found this to be a beautiful look, but more difficult to do and had to practice on some flat boards first to get the technique perfected. He has several pictures and a pretty good DVD on patination on his website that goes over all of this.

Your pieces are so well done without the metallic leaf patination, however, I'm glad to see you using it as embellishment. It can be quite beautiful.

[John Keeton]

Dave, I appreciate your kind remarks on my work. Jeff was kind enough to loan me David's DVD for viewing, so I now have a better idea on some of these techniques. Practice, practice, practice!!!:)

[Bill Wyko]

I think what we have here is a huge success. Very well done John, truly an inspiration.

[Scott Hackler]

Geez! Your gonna force me to buy some of that Woodturners Finish! The coloring and finish looks fantasting. I'm so-so in the leaf and in this case I'm not so sure it melds with the form. The abrupt line of the "lid" kinda bothers me a bit. Maybe because it's different and the style will take a little getting used to. Overall, though, it's a nice piece that will be well received by the public. Nice work John and good on you for continueing to "branch" out.