"Mar Verde"

[Alan Trout]

This is my latest piece, which is one of my burl and resin series pieces. This piece is about 8 inches high by about 6 1/2" in diameter. It is an olive root burl with a green and a hint of gold pigmented resin, and quite possibly the most difficult/frustrating piece I have every made. It is not that it is was particularly challenging far as design or technique, but soon after I started hollowing I found several rocks from about 1/2" in diameter to over 1 1/2" in diameter that the wood of the burl had grown around. I was wishing these rocks were limestone or something soft but my luck they were quartz. I ruined 4 hunter cutters and finally had to use long shank carbide burrs to slowly grind the rocks out. I have no idea how many hours but I can say it was not an easy task. A few times I almost gave up on the piece. It was lucky that it even made it off of the lathe. I hated to give up as the casting itself was probably the most flaw free casting that I have ever done. I had change a few things on this casting to see if I could improve on the pieces I was making. Those changes made a positive impact on this piece. It has incredible depth and a lot of visual movement in the resin parts of the piece and nice piece of wood. It is about 3/16" thick until the bottom which is 3/8" because there is a rock in the bottom that I could not cut all the way out. It is visible for the inside and form the bottom of the piece. I purposely made the opening a little larger as it invites people to take a look inside to see the light shining through the translucent resin.

I believe this piece or wood came for Jerry Marcantel a while back. Thanks Jerry in the end it worked out wonderfully.

I call this Piece "Mar Verde" as it reminds me of a green sea.

Cheers or jeers are welcome.

Thanks for looking

Alan

[Fred Belknap]

Alan I like the color combination. It is a great shape and the finish is excellent. I like the name you gave it, fit's it perfectly.

[Doug W Swanson]

Beautiful piece although I think I prefer your pieces with a little more contrast. Still a winner!

[Richard Madden]

Your patience and perseverance paid off big time. I probably would have given up at the first sign of a rock!! Sorry about the tools getting screwed up...but in the end, you won! Very nice piece.

[Jerry Marcantel]

Alan, as I was reading your description of the rock troubles you were having, I was was saying to myself, "Boy, I hope he didn't get that wood from me". Then towards the end of the text, the evidence is there, "I believe this piece of wood came for Jerry Marcantel a while back".

Despite the problems and the added cost of this turning, it came out beautiful, as usual for your work. I'm color blind, and for me, those colors work extremely well for that piece of wood.

I have several EWT's, and I don't use them until all the bark is removed, or I've got my exterior shape and tenon done.. I know how brittle carbide is, and don't want to use those tools until I know I'm rock free. Grinding an edge on a steel tool is cheaper than replacing a carbide cutter.... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Alan Trout]

Jerry,

I really do appreciate the piece of wood it was exactly what I look for and I really appreciate you giving it to me. The only thing that would cut the rocks was carbide. It instantly dulled HSS. The long shank double cut carbide burrs worked it just took way to much time. Dang quartz is just to hard.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Alan

[Allan Ferguson]

I enjoy the flow of the resin fill. Put it in a dark room with a light shining into it. I think that it would be stunning.

[jwjerry w kowalski]

I think it's an absolutely stunning piece, I love the resin.

[bob svoboda]

Nice. Now THAT'S creative.

[Scott Hackler]

Nice work Alan. The acrylic has some great swirling in it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really cool piece Alan. I like the color and the form looks good.

[Alan Trout]

Thanks for all of the compliments. These piece are a bugger to get a good photograph of. Those that have seen them in person know what I am talking about. The colors are more vivid and contrast are much more pronounced. This piece in particular is much nicer in person. One of these days I will get this photography stuff figured out.


Alan

[Eric Gourieux]

Alan,
That's a really nice piece - and an expensive one with all the Hunter tips you used. I always enjoy your resin pieces.

[Mike Golka]

Nice piece Alan, I think I would have preferred a different color of resin, something with a little more contrast BTJMO.