This is my entry for the Through the Woods, Around the Block show at the Lubeznick Center in Michigan City, IN. I stole Andy DePietro's description of the rules- Here they are:
Exhibiting turners will be showing artwork from non-endangered wood, indigenous to their region. Submissions must consist of two elements: The first will be a 6 x 6 x 3 block of wood that has been cut to size, but not worked in any other way. The second element will be a turning created from a similar 6 x 6 x 3 block of the same wood. This second element can be turned as is or disassembled, re-fashioned, and turned, just so long as the wood's features are not obscured by paint, bleach, etc. This turning can be from a burl or a root so long as the artwork fits within a volume 6 x 6 x 3. In the exhibit, the second element will be displayed on top of the first to illuminate the wood's character and to illustrate the before/after creative alteration.
My piece is walnut with an ash stem. The idea is that the new piece is growing out of the block and the ash is pulling it up, new life from old. At least that's the concept.
The hardest part was screwing up enough courage to cut the bottom off the turning without it flying all over the place.
