9th effort - Kou + Blackwood weed pot

The wood looks pretty. Kinda dark picture on the bottom. I like the continuous curve on the main body of the piece. You might consider moving the largest diameter above the midline to give a more dramatic effect.

I didn't understand the comment about 600 feet. Is that 600 feet elevation? If so, that is kind of odd that a tree would be so elevation sensitive since 600 feet is not that high.

Jeff,

Thanks for the tip about the form. I went back to the bowl and set it against a solid background and saw what you were referring to. Hadn't seen that on the lathe. I think I need to spend more time backing well away from a piece as I work on it, and maybe even pulling the chuck off so I can see the form upright until my eye gets used to seeing things sideways.

How's this photo now Jeff? I used a little trick to raise it up a 1/2 inch off the surface it was on, and doubled the light on the right side with an added diffuser. Still not great, but at least now there is some definition to the bottom. I need to dig up a light background to complement a piece like this. Everytime I got enough light to bring out the bottom I lost the top to highlights. More than I could compensate for with photoshop.

On the 600 foot comment. Hawaii is funny. Even though it is the tropics there are some very distinct zones of vegetation...especially here on the Big Island, and to a lesser extent on Maui. We have a huge climatic range from tropical on one coast to desert on the other coast up to snowy alpine on the mountains. Its not unusual to find plants that exist only in a narrow range of elevation and also rainfalls. This is one of those plants that has a narrow elevation range it tolerates, as well as a narrow range of rain tolerance. It prefers the drier climates here.

On windward side of the island where I live(the side usually struck by the incoming trade winds) rainfall at sealevel around the town of Hilo is around 140 inches. As you climb up to 2,000 feet you end up at 400 inches plus, and then it drops a bit until you are on the top of Kilauea Volcano at 4,000ft where the rainfall is 120 inches again. Above 4,000 the rainfall keeps dropping fast. This caused by an air inversion that exists in the tropics at a fairly low altitude. Trade winds push moisture up the mountains where it condenses in the cooler air and forms clouds and rain. The moisture hits that inversion layer and stops. Beyond that it dries quickly. I live 1.5 miles beyond Volcano proper, also at 4,000ft, and my rainfall is around 60 inches. A few more miles down the road and rainfall drops into the teens. This inversion layer is one of the reasons astonomers love the big telescopes on top of Mauna Kea. It is above 13,000 feet and has an insane number of dry cloudless nights each year. The viewing from there is considered the best in the world. There are 9 world class scopes up there now with 5 more planned.

This tree like the dry side of the island. There, rainfall on the coast is around 7 to 10 inches. Just by climbing up a ways you enter a zone where afternoon clouds wrapping around the mountains from the windward side drop some rain. The lowest elevations almost never see it, but come up just 600 to 1,000 feet and you start to get significant amounts of rain. This is just a matter of a few miles distance. Once you see that effect you understand why the climate zones are so narrow. Its really pretty neat to see and watch! The leeward side between 800 and 2,000 feet is where Kona coffee grows by the way. Just enough afternoon showers for the berries to develope, and plenty of sunshine in the morning for the plant to grow with.

And Jeff.....thanks so much for always taking the time to comment on pieces! I really appreciate!!

Dave

PS....do folks here mind this kind of babbling?

I think your explaination of climate changes and areas that trees grow in Hawaii is quite interesting. Maybe some day my wife an I will get to see it. :] To get the bottom of your photograph lighter, place the piece on a lighter background. It will reflect more light up on to the wood.

Enjoyed the tour and seeing your bowl. I learned something about where you live and picked up some photo tips at tne same time, that's win win.

Dave - yes this is a better picture (plus I'm viewing it from a better monitor). Form discussions are always subjective. But it seems that most folks agree that it is better to have an asymmetric form - with the largest diameter either above or below the midline. It is a good idea to back away from the form a few times when you are trying to establish the outer shape. And if the piece is mounted on a chuck or a faceplate you can take it off and look at it off the lathe. Not possible between centers.

That is an interesting discussion about the microclimates where you live. I didn't realize the change was so dramatic with such small elevation changes. I'm not sure the 60 inches/year of rain would be all that much fun, but it's better than the 100" or more in the other parts.

...and you just had to include that discussion about kona coffee didn't you!!! You're in paradise - "exotic" wood to turn all day long, topped off with kona coffee to keep the taste buds happy. Wow.

I am familiar with the fine observatories there. It is an excellent place to observe and study the universe. In my spare time I also do astronomy with a Meade 10" LX200-GPS scope.