"The Green Meanie!"

[Rick Markham]

This is my third dyed piece (I know, I need to post the first two:rolleyes:) This is an "experimental" piece testing a theory regarding color, hue and the perception of depth. I will discuss that with my next piece currently in the finishing stage though. Needless to say IT WORKS!!! :D:cool: The finial is something new for me (and a prototype of things to come.) the form is Cherry, dyed with Transtint colors, sprayed with an airbrush (Inspired by John Keeton's Orange fade piece) pores filled with fresh ultra blonde shellac, final coats were Woodturners Finish. Buffed and Renwaxed. Comments and Critiques are truly appreciated and welcome. I know color isn't everyone's "thing"! Thank you for looking!!!

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Edited to add photo with less glare...

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[Tim Rinehart]

I'll admit...I'm not sure about the finial. Technically cool, but may have to warm up to it as a finial!
Love what you're doing with the coloring, may have to pic your brain at some point. You got some great depth in this piece, and the shade of green is wonderful.
Keep at it, your coloration is doing really nicely, something I'm trying to find time to play with. I have an airbrush...and just need to spend a weekend getting used to it. It hasn't seen the first drop of paint/dye yet!

[Roger Chandler]

Great form.Rick! Now your dye & finish are really outstanding........the multi-axis finial............well............neat, whimsical and definitely too big for the form! :) Of course, I'm sure this is a temporary finial, and one that is more suited is in the works? I do like your color choices a bit.......the white goes so nicely with the beautiful green.............

Keep 'em coming Rick!

[Prashun Patel]

Rick-
Love the form.
I love the color too. I appreciate the effort involved. I haven't been able to achieve the layering you got here. I think the photo doesn't show the top half as well as the bottom.

[Scott Hackler]

The form and coloring are very, very nice. I don't care for the topper and I think it is the heft of it that throws me off. Maybe an off axis topper that is more dainty.

[Barry Richardson]

Thats my kind of piece! I think the top piece is pretty well proportioned to the whole, and I love the whimsical look. I don't think a finial always needs to be "delicate" to work. I think the overall impact of the piece is excellent!

[Bob Bergstrom]

The Irish should be lining up at the door for this one. Beautiful color and the fade is gorgeous. I would like to see a couple variations on the finial. It is unique, and does need time to sink in. Very well done.

[Sid Matheny]

I really like the form and colot but I do think if the colors were fadedlook better. Need to get rid of the topper and do another IMHO.

Sid

[Rick Markham]

First off I want to say, thank you for all of your opinions, I value every one (good and bad.)

I kinda knew this piece would stir the pot a bit :D Honestly, maybe it's the fact that I've lived with it for a couple weeks now, but the top has really grown on me. It doesn't fit, the proportions are weird. (I agree the next ones will be more dainty and refined! ;)) but... I REALLY like it (I know, there is no accounting for taste!) It's fat... (I don't like fat finials!) It's not centered... (drives me crazy) The proportions within the "thing" aren't right... (another OCD don't of mine) but I can't explain it... I really really like it. (but I hate it too.) Maybe I am just "too close" to it.

This was a very spontaneous project, and was really just me having fun. I think I really dig it because it's not "nice" it doesn't play by the rules... "the Green Meanie" does what it pleases! :D

Keep the comments coming! Good and Bad!

Roger, I've thought about redoing the top. It's staying though... The next one is in "the works" so it's topper will be more evolved. (This one when viewed from above looks like river pebbles balanced precariously on top of each other.)

[Roger Chandler]

Hey Rick..........the artist is always right........what do the critics know anyway?!!! :D;)

[Steve Schlumpf]

I like the form, the rich color and the finish! Unfortunately - the finial doesn't do anything for me....

Looking forward to seeing the next variation!

[Rick Markham]

Hey Rick..........the artist is always right........what do the critics know anyway?!!! :D;)

Haha! On the contrary, according to the LOML I'm rarely right! :D

I always seek the truth on here (from fellow turners) brutal or otherwise. ;) I knew this one would be either a like it or hate it. Not sure there is much room in the in between category. It might even be a momentary like to hate it :D

I really enjoy others reactions to my work, after all art should invoke emotions right?

[Jim Burr]

Dye looks cool, but the lighting has two different colorings...lime and green. The finial is sweet...I hate to think what you went through to fire that up! But the effort is well worth a big high 5! Foot maybe to small?/!Just kidding...I think. If the color gets straight...good looking piece!

[Eric Holmquist]

I like the color, form and finish. Despite the ratios being a bit odd, the form works. I just wish the reflection of the tabletop was not there, it distracts from the color fade.

[Kathy Marshall]

I like the color, form and finish. Despite the ratios being a bit odd, the form works. I just wish the reflection of the tabletop was not there, it distracts from the color fade.
That explains it! I was trying to figure out why the top looks glossy and the bottom looks satin.

Great job on the color, beautiful green and I bet it looks much better in person without the reflections. I like the finial although it does appear a bit heavy for the piece, also wondering how it would look if it were dyed a deep dark green (which would give it a lighter appearance). Looking forward to the next version!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Love the color and the form. I am not a fan of the topper.

[Rick Markham]

Sorry for the glare, I added a photo that's better. :o

[robert baccus]

Hey Rick--do your thing--there are no rules in art after all it is an attempt to express something that you may not understand.

[John Keeton]

Rick, your color fade on this piece is near perfect! Great depth, and a very attractive color. The finial actually appears to be half the length of the vase form and that would be proportionate to the form and within the rule of thirds. My guess is that the mass of it and the light color make it seem larger than it is. It is, without doubt, a unique and bold statement and that is the thing about art!! If one can't be bold and unique, then one is destined to simply join the masses of mediocrity. I applaud your efforts here, and this is just the type of piece that will make folks stop and look - something all of us strive for. Good work!

[Bill Hensley]

Nice work, shape, coloring and finish are all well done. I'm not even put off by the topper!

[Mike Cruz]

Rick, not my style, but fantastic non the less. Hats off, dude.

[Sid Matheny]

Thanks for the second picture and I take back what I said about the fade now that I can see it. Very well done!!!


Sid

[Prashun Patel]

Awesome. I love the fade. Rick, what type of airbrush do you have? I'm torn btn a Paasche and an HF special.

[Rick Markham]

Thanks fellas, sorry for glare. I think it's time to rethink my photo set up.

Prashun, the Paasche is a nice airbrush, I have no experience with the HF Special. If you are going to buy an airbrush make sure you get a double action one. I personally use an Iwata Eclipse siphon feed, (I have a Iwata Eclipse top feed too, but the siphon feed is my favorite for finishing) If you have a Hobby Lobby around, print off a 40% off coupon from their website (they usually have them) and go get one from them. It will save you a TON of money, and they have both Iwata and Paasche airbrushes, and several models to choose from.

edited to add: I have both a .035mm and a .050mm nozzle and prefer the .050 for finishing

[James Roberts]

Rick, the form, color and finial, as well as the name, all make me think of Dr. Seuss. I like it a lot. We need to step away from the "norm" from time to time and explore the whimsical. Well done! Your depth of color and finish are really eye catching.

[Seth Dolcourt]

I'm not a turner, just a guy who lurks the turning forum.

I like the finial. I like its entropy, that it's causing a little ruckus, almost impolitely making its own space as it lays out its towel on the beach, and that it's tall and obvious. More, please! :)

Regrets, but green dye / stain in the wood grain doesn't do it for me personally. I see guys on drum forums do green stain, and it usually makes the drum shell look moldy. (The guy who did green stain on red oak didn't improve my curmudgeonly viewpoint of green on wood.) Green as a kandy (transparent toner over a very well sealed wood body) might appeal to my eye, as long as the green was bold.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[Rick Markham]

I'm not a turner, just a guy who lurks the turning forum.

I like the finial. I like its entropy, that it's causing a little ruckus, almost impolitely making its own space as it lays out its towel on the beach, and that it's tall and obvious. More, please! :)

Regrets, but green dye / stain in the wood grain doesn't do it for me personally. I see guys on drum forums do green stain, and it usually makes the drum shell look moldy. (The guy who did green stain on red oak didn't improve my curmudgeonly viewpoint of green on wood.) Green as a kandy (transparent toner over a very well sealed wood body) might appeal to my eye, as long as the green was bold.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

It's always good to get an outside perspective too, thank you for chiming in Seth! You better avert your eyes from my next one then, it's green too... It's better though so maybe it will change your mind. (Or just solidify your distain of green!) :D

[Noah Barfield]

I like the finial. The entire thing has an organic feel to it. The HF reminds me of a melon growing in the garden and the finial is the vine (like the stem on a pumpkin).