There have been myriad excellent pieces posted in the gallery over the past three weeks, but one in particular stands out to me for its beautiful timber, lovely form, interesting surface treatment, and stellar photo. @Mark Durrenberger's Ripples in Apple is a winner.
One thing worth noting is the vase is quite a bit smaller than it appears. I was surprised that it is only 6.5" tall. To me, this is a good thing, as a hallmark of a great form is that it is size-independent. Certainly, large turnings and small turnings have their own challenges, but a piece like this can be scaled up or down and it will still look fantastic. Especially with such lovely, curly grain. Mark's use of aquafortis (nitric acid) enhances the curl. Like he mentioned, this reagent is commonly used in the gunstock/rifle world to selectively darken and accentuate figure in woods such as Maple, Cherry, and Birch. I've not seen it applied to Apple before, likely because Apple is not so common of a wood choice in that world due to fruit wood's tendency to crack when left thick. Great choice here, Mark, as you've achieved an interesting color that borders on metallic.
I also have to commend the photograph. Like Emiliano has mentioned before, the AAW shares these featured turnings (as well as the winning monthly challenge piece) on its social media accounts and emails. Although photography is not technically part of turning, it is an important way to accurately share a piece when most folks won't ever lay eyes on it. The phrase "a piece is only as good as its photograph" is becoming more and more relevant these days. Of course, the most important thing is still the quality of the turning itself, but something as nice as Mark's piece deserves an excellent photograph.
Well done on all accounts, Mark--congratulations!
One thing worth noting is the vase is quite a bit smaller than it appears. I was surprised that it is only 6.5" tall. To me, this is a good thing, as a hallmark of a great form is that it is size-independent. Certainly, large turnings and small turnings have their own challenges, but a piece like this can be scaled up or down and it will still look fantastic. Especially with such lovely, curly grain. Mark's use of aquafortis (nitric acid) enhances the curl. Like he mentioned, this reagent is commonly used in the gunstock/rifle world to selectively darken and accentuate figure in woods such as Maple, Cherry, and Birch. I've not seen it applied to Apple before, likely because Apple is not so common of a wood choice in that world due to fruit wood's tendency to crack when left thick. Great choice here, Mark, as you've achieved an interesting color that borders on metallic.
I also have to commend the photograph. Like Emiliano has mentioned before, the AAW shares these featured turnings (as well as the winning monthly challenge piece) on its social media accounts and emails. Although photography is not technically part of turning, it is an important way to accurately share a piece when most folks won't ever lay eyes on it. The phrase "a piece is only as good as its photograph" is becoming more and more relevant these days. Of course, the most important thing is still the quality of the turning itself, but something as nice as Mark's piece deserves an excellent photograph.
Well done on all accounts, Mark--congratulations!
