Southwestern Style Olla

[Steve Schlumpf]

This piece is my interpretation of a classic Southwestern Olla, which is a large jar used for storing water or grain. This also is the last of my 5 piece primitive series in which I focused strictly on form.

Maple, 14 ½” high x 12 ½” diameter x ¼” thick. Sealed with Shellac, this has multiple coats of gloss wipe-on poly which was cut back to a matte finish using #0000 steel wool. Given a few coats of Renaissance wax, it was hand buffed to a warm glow.

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For those of you who noticed ;), this is the hollow form that was on the lathe in my ‘Tis the Season 2012’ thread.

As always, your comments, opinions and critiques are welcomed!

Thanks for looking!

[Roger Chandler]

A nice piece........I like large! Are those cracks that have been filled? If so what did you fill them with? Pics 2,3,4 are what I am referring to......almost looks like pith or the way ambrosia tracks are left behind. Unusual, the way it follows the grain.......I guess it is part of the grain now that I have given it a second look. Very nice wall thickness....and the large opening.....shows it is a truly utilitarian type of vessel.

Again, your skills shine brightly, Steve!

[Doug W Swanson]

Beautiful work, Steve. The form is excellent as usual. This is the type of work I just love to see. Great job!

[Reed Gray]

I really need to do more hollowforms. I am inspired. Steve, what is the wood? Really looks like some Myrtle.

robo hippy

[Robert McGowen]

The form does justice to the title of your series. Excellent shape. Not doing a lot of solid wood hollow forms, it looks to me that this is an end-grain turning and that the pith is probably centered in the bottom. Is this correct and if so, I assume you have some plan on dealing with any issues from that or you would not have put so much time into this piece of wood? So enlighten us less knowledgeable, please!

[David DeCristoforo]

That's a beauty. And impressively thin for so large a vessel. Especially like the view in the second and third pics where you can really see how the figure flows around to form. I had never heard of an olla but I "googled" it and this form is spot on.

[Nate Davey]

Great piece Steve, the maple has some nice subtle graining. I drive by an enormous one of these every day to and from work

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

You're the Daddy of the SW hollow forms, Steve. This one is a beauty and doubly difficult because the opening is large and everyone will feel the inside to make sure it is also perfect, which I am sure it is.
faust

[John Keeton]

You're like a nail gun, Steve, just driving them home one right after the other!! Beautiful work, great form, and a very nice piece of wood. Kinda hate to see the series come to a close......

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Steve, this is beautiful work as usual. It has been a while since I was here but I am thrilled the legacy continues. Let me wish all here a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Curt Fuller]

Just beautiful Steve! What else can I say.

[Dick Mahany]

Steve,

This is a very impressive piece on multiple levels. The overall size, beautiful SW form, and wood character, work great IMHO. I can't help but notice that in pics 3-5, it almost looks like the grain is smiling back in a devilish sort of way ! Maybe just me, but we all see things from such different perspectives, and this is what I find fasciniating about turning. My favorite pic is the last one as it shows the piece and the subtle aspects from an incredible perspective .

[Sid Matheny]

I love it , what's not to like!

Sid

[Jim Adkins]

very nice Steve, all the correct lines. Great job.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone - I do appreciate it!

For those wondering, the vase has no cracks in it, so nothing was filled. The dark lines running around the piece are natural and just a line of
darker colored wood! Adds a lot of interest to the piece! I have turned a few pieces of Upper Peninsula Maple that also had color lines running through it. No idea if the colors were caused by climate, minerals, stress within the tree or what - but I sure like what it adds to the turning!

[Harry Robinette]

What can I say,BEAUTIFUL just BEAUTIFUL.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Robert - the pith is centered and all I did was turn it fairly thin and hit it with thin CA before I soaked the form in DNA. Once dry, never had another issue with it.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Chris - great seeing you back here! You have been missed! Hope you are doing well!

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Robert - the pith is centered and all I did was turn it fairly thin and hit it with thin CA before I soaked the form in DNA. Once dry, never had another issue with it.


Nice piece Steve. Glad to see thing getting a little BIGGER since you got your Beauty.
I've turned over 150 pieces now centered on the pith with minimal problems, yet everyone still seems to think you must not turn a piece with the pith in it, go figure.

[Baxter Smith]

Good looking piece Steve! Very nice wood and form. Don't envy you on all the sanding though!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

A very well executed classic SW form! Nicely done Steve!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nicely done Steve. I do like that SW style.

[Michelle Rich]

AAHhhhhhh, nice to see the lovely "warm glow" finish. (in my opinion it lets the wood speak) If Maria (yes the Maria) were still making her glorious pots, I think she'd look at your s & give it her approval.

[Fred Belknap]

Steve that is nice work. I like the SW pottery design, I bet that would look nice with some design burned on it.

[Alan Trout]

Steve,

That is a very nice jar. I like the form and the wood has plenty of interest. Well done.

Alan

[charlie knighton]

very nice Steve, i might want to try that form, i do like the southwest stuff, planning making a trip this spring, 1st time to uath