In another thread, Bill from Detroit admitted that he liked a finial that he had turned and he planned to keep it. I sure liked reading that and I think his is a refreshing voice for many of us.
I know I'm not a voice of wisdom crying in the wilderness and I'm most likely wrong as I often am. That admitted, I wonder about woodturning's current emphasis on "proper" shape, weight and conformity to classical proportions that makes it a no-no to wander from today's turning dogma.
It sometimes seems as if purity of finial and compliance of collar is the tail that wags the dog and crtiques of an adjunct part are more important and more interesting to woodturners than the turning process and object itself. Can micro- critique become macro-absurdity? I think so and I'm betting the pendulum will swing before we are smothered in our attempts to decide perfection and comply with it. (maybe this reflects my frustration in not 'matching up') I hope none of you are frustrated by believing that you 'failed'.
We all insist that we truly believe that "Art is in the eye of the beholder", "We turn the when, what and way we like", "The most important thing is to just have fun", "Somebody will like anything we turn", etc. etc. I have to wonder tho, how much is lip service and how much is in the breech if we are turning for the knee-kick advice and condescending praise of our appointed betters.
Yep it's off plus or minus 0.001 mm. and 0.000 mg. and the golden ratio is tarnished, but it's only a finial not the holy grail. Anyway it's mine and I like it and as with Bill, I plan to keep it. Do I really need to agonize over it or ask others to?
OK, if this doesn't stir someone's pot how about: "Buckeye is good wood for turning". "GO, BIG BLUE" Win this afternoon in Ohio. :)
Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter