Form Critique

[John Hart]

Howdy! Here's a Cherry Vase...Unfinished, sanded through 800. I made this out of a piece of pallet wood I was using to tamp down the filling for pot holes.
Anyway, I've been trying to nail down a form for another project with a nicer piece of wood. Just wanted to get your opinion about this form that came to me in a dream. It's kinda tall in relation to the diameter, but I was going for something slender. Also has that little ridge up on the shoulder. 9" Tall and 3" Diameter.
Please just tell me what you think. No feelings to hurt here.;) :)

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[Mark Pruitt]

I really like that form! The only suggestion I have is possibly take a little more off the rim--same size opening, just a little less diameter at the edge.

[Neal Addy]

I like the form. Very classic and elegant.

I agree with Mark about the rim. Maybe just a bit less lip would suit it better. I'm also not sure about the ridge at the top of the shoulder. It draws the eye by breaking up the curve flowing up the piece. This may be the effect you wanted to achieve and I could probably go either way on it.

The foot is a nice size for the piece. Any more tapered and it might not be stable. The curve of the vessel's side walls are really nice.

Wonderful piece! Keep 'em coming!

[Steve Schlumpf]

John, first off - nice vase!

If anything, I'm not to sure about the little ridge detail. Like Neil stated, it takes away from the long lean curve. Also, like Mark and Neil, not sure about the size of the lip in ratio to diameter of vase - maybe a little less?

[John Hart]

Interesting thing...so far, it's unanimous that the lip is too wide. I went and got my calipers and measured. The base is 1.45".....so if I used the Golden Ratio....the lip should be 2.3" and the shoulder should be 3.65".

As it stands...the shoulder is 3.65" and the lip is 2.85.....Over half an inch wider than it should be!!! Now...how did I miss that?:confused:

Kinda cool that you guys spotted it.;)

[Mark Pruitt]

Kinda cool that you guys spotted it.;)
Yeah, especially since I don't get this golden ratio stuff. I know it's 1:1.61, but things that look pleasing to me don't fit it. Or maybe I don't understand how you're using it. Clearly, you're not using it to determine the ratio between height and diameter. So, what are the relationships?:confused:

[Bob Opsitos]

Nice vase, looks good, minus the detail at the shoulder. That really does break up the nice lines.

The lip diameter doesn't look too big, though I might change my opinion if the shoulder detail were not there.

Bob

[John Hart]

Yeah, especially since I don't get this golden ratio stuff. I know it's 1:1.61, but things that look pleasing to me don't fit it. Or maybe I don't understand how you're using it. Clearly, you're not using it to determine the ratio between height and diameter. So, what are the relationships?:confused:

Well...that's part of the dream Mark. At first, I thought it should be applied to total height and widest diameter...but every one of them looks really stupid. So I tried to apply it to the body on a vertical rectangle...then the throat and lip on a horizontal rectangle. Nothing was quite working for me.

Then it hit me....everyone is drawn to the lip vs shoulder vs base size.....So, how 'bout just using those dimensions? This is my first attempt at that. I have some cedar that I'm going to use for the next go 'round. It's a little over 3.3 square. I'll shoot for 3.25-shoulder, 2.0 lip, and 1.25 base. I'll probably make it a little shorter though. I really got beat up hollowing this thing.

[Curt Fuller]

Neck her down bruther!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ditto the others John. Rim just a bit wide for my taste. Other than that nice vase. I do like the form.

[Skip Spaulding]

Great "pot hole" club! All in the eye of the beholder. Skip

[Frank Chaffee]

Good dream. I like the form as it is. The broad lip could actually be used for pouring from a full vessel, and the inset around the neck suggests wear from a rope used to carry it.

[Bill Boehme]

The little cove detail is similar to one that I did once, but the cove on mine was too tiny and out of proportion. I like yours except that I think that the lower edge of the cove needs to be either crisp and bolder or not there at all (as in, blended into a long smooth curve). As far as the lip goes, I like the size as it is, but I think that some sort of embellishment to counter the height of the vase is in order. I was thinking along the lines of either patination on the top side with a distinct burned groove just shy of he edge -- or -- texturing such as dimpling on the top side and having it dyed, perhaps black. Have you thought about any sort of inlay -- it might look good -- or might not. If any of these suggestions messes it up, I will claim that an imposter posted this.

Overall, I like the form a lot.

Bill

[Rich Stewart]

I dunno John. I'm not feeling it on this piece. I looked and looked and I'm thinking if you lost about maybe one fifth of the bottom it would look better. I can't even believe I am saying something like this but it's just not doing it for me.

Rich

[John Hart]

Great feedback! Thanks everyone. This really gives me something to go on. Bill, (or the imposter), I would like to avoid embellishments for this experiment, but I do agree it needs a little "something" after I get it all figured out. Based on the whole of the comments, I believe that I will dainty this form up. I'll reduce the diameter of the neck and lose the ridge, and reduce the lip diameter. I'll do it on a piece of cedar tomorrow. We'll see how she looks.

Oh....and Rich....It wasn't doing it for me either.;)

[John Shuk]

I made this out of a piece of pallet wood I was using to tamp down the filling for pot holes.

You're growing that stuff now John?:eek:

Just kidding!!!!!
I think it looks nice.
John

[Jim Becker]

I like it for the most part. There appears to be a discontinuity between the body and the rim that I find less pleasing than a continuous curve. Outside of that...nice!

[Jim Dunn]

Interesting thing...so far, it's unanimous that the lip is too wide. I went and got my calipers and measured. The base is 1.45".....so if I used the Golden Ratio....the lip should be 2.3" and the shoulder should be 3.65".

As it stands...the shoulder is 3.65" and the lip is 2.85.....Over half an inch wider than it should be!!! Now...how did I miss that?:confused:

Kinda cool that you guys spotted it.;)

There's a Golden Ratio?? Somebody's been holding out on me:eek:

Nice looking vase John. Since I didn't know about the Golden "thing" I thought it looked perfect as is. But now that I know about it, it looks about 1/2" too large at the top:rolleyes::D

[Bill Boehme]

There's a Golden Ratio?? Somebody's been holding out on me
"He who has the gold makes the ratios". Or is it "he who has the best P/E ratio makes the gold"?

Mostly, it is something for critics to bandy about as if it really is so all fired important. To me, it ranks just below Bigfoot and UFO sightings.

Bill

[Jonathon Spafford]

I like the shape... I might make the neck (the cove) smaller in diameter just so the seperation between the cove and the body is more definite. I might also reduce the outer diamer of the mouth. Or instead of having that cove you could have made the whole thing one s curve and dropped the center down lower... but that would change the shape entirely. I really like the looks of it personally. You did a good job!

[Jonathon Spafford]

T As far as the lip goes, I like the size as it is, but I think that some sort of embellishment to counter the height of the vase is in order. I was thinking along the lines of either patination on the top side with a distinct burned groove just shy of he edge -- or -- texturing such as dimpling on the top side and having it dyed, perhaps black. Have you thought about any sort of inlay -- it might look good -- or might not.

Bill

Before I read this I was thinking the same thing... since you do have that little "eye-break" with the neck it would look cool if you textured the bottom half with a needle scaler so as to creat some sort of contrast!!

[John Hart]

.....Mostly, it is something for critics to bandy about as if it really is so all fired important. To me, it ranks just below Bigfoot and UFO sightings....

I'm kinda in agreement with you Bill. So far, any application of this ratio in a vase has resulted in something that I find annoying. Whereas, when I just go with the flow, the forms seem better. They apply this ratio thing to architecture, music, people's faces...etc., so I thought I'd prove, or disprove once and for all. I'll tell ya one thing for sure...This vase looked a lot better horizontal on the lathe than it does standing up. What's with that?

Thanks again everyone.

Oh...and on the texturing....I've never tried it. Gotta get off my rear and do that on something.:rolleyes:

[Keith Burns]

John, I'm going to go against the grain, so to speak. Narrow and extend the neck just a bit. Eliminate the cove. Then extend the lip to a diameter that is slightly larger than the body diameter.

[John Hart]

....Then extend the lip to a diameter that is slightly larger than the body diameter.

Is this what you're talking about?
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Please pardon the inadvertant unprofessionalism of this photo. The lighting in my office is just atrocious...and my office camera is just not of the stellar quality you are accustomed.

[Keith Burns]

Your artistic skills continue to amaze me John:D . You were able to extract my thoughts exactly.

[Mark Pruitt]

Is this what you're talking about?
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Please pardon the inadvertant unprofessionalism of this photo. The lighting in my office is just atrocious...and my office camera is just not of the stellar quality you are accustomed.
John, that man's hair (and his arms and legs for that matter) are asymetrical. A multi-axis turning?:rolleyes:

[Mark Pruitt]

....I bet there's still a golden ratio in that redesigned vase somewhere!:D

[Paul Engle]

John,
I got some pot holes you can come over and tamp for me :rolleyes: .....as far as the vase goes I agree with the rest that the lip just a tad over but the golden rule is do it to the vase afore it do it to you ????not sure on that one:eek:

[Tom Sherman]

John first of all I would say file that Golden Rule thingee in the round file and move on. Secondly I agree that it would be improved by extending and narrowing the neck, otherwise I like it.