Whirl About – SOLD
View #1
This came from some Black Locust I found by the side of the road by the Mayor’s house. I guess he was clearing some trees. Really wonderful color and grain to this wood. But I didn’t want to do just another bowl.
I had done some outflowing forms before, but I really wanted to try and exaggerate this one. So I made the top really broad and the bottom really skinny. Almost too skinny for it to stand up on it’s own. But as luck and nature would have it, as the piece dried and warped, the rim became wavy and the stem sort of slanted and those forces counteracted each other and she stands up on her own.
From the side, she looks almost like a twister, what with all of the pockets of color in the grain looking like debris a tornado picks up and tosses around as it moves along the ground.
Top View showing this remarkable grain pattern
I sanded all of the knots and surface defects smooth, then literally gave her a 20-minute bath in a mixture of Orange Oil and Beeswax. She really soaked up the pampering and after wiping off any excess and polishing her up with a soft cloth, she’s ready for center stage anywhere, especially where someone can crotch down and get a good look at her profile.
Who knows? I may wind up making it a gift to the Mayor!
Side View showing how the piece warped and tilted
P.S. Oops…Sorry Mayor, this one is SOLD.
