Musing for an argument ?

Arch

Whatever happened to letting the wood speak for itself - I like to only add a contrast to the top of the piece - like a finial, not a whole section to the body. I like some people's use of contrast - like Jacques Vessery or Cindy Drosda, but come on - laminating a whole section of neck to a piece to cover up the fact that you hollowed it out at 3/4 of the height instead of going thru the small hole in the added piece is a bit trite!

The finials I add are of walnut that has been ebonized with the vinegar and rust solution (I don't know what it is called)

Ray

Perhaps the addition of the contrasting is more of an experiment on the part of the turner. As a new turner, I am slowly but steadily stretching the muscles and applying 'new' techniques just to see if I can improve. (new - new for me). As Ray notes in his response adding a finial for contrast will probably be my first attempt along the line of mixing wood types. OTOH, to each his own.

It's often pretty hokey. I've also seen a prizewinning segmented turning where the patterned segments are mismatched on the side that does not show up in the pictures which are generally shown of it. A good effort, but not really prizeworthy, IMHO. YOMV.

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (Arch) wrote in news:12892-40A226DF-435@storefull-

Art imitating life? Seems to me that the collars imitate the collars used on some pottery. IIRC, the collars on the pottery are functional; they protected the fragile and oft used or abused opening of a vessel. Or as someone once said: we've always done it that way.

I think that imitating or emulating line is fine, but putting spouts and handles on a turned wooden object seems a bit silly. There are easier ways to make a tea pot.

LD

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (Arch) wrote in news:12892-40A226DF-435@storefull-

And while we're on the subject, how about the Anasazi pottery recreations in wood. While I can admire the skill that goes into recreating the pattern, it's a technical but not artistic achievement (IMNSHO). As Ray said, let the wood speak for itself.

LD

..and while I'm defaulted to negatory mode: I wonder if the old Greeks referred to their urns and columns and the old Italians to their statues and fountains with the superfluity many present day turners describe each other's bowls and vases. Like most personnel evaluations or grades of beef; terms like 'drop dead georgeous', 'fantastic', 'magnificent', 'sublime', etc. etc. are used to describe an average piece . Do florid descriptions of the ordinary detract from the outstanding? Arch, COC

Fortiter,

I strongly suspect that the primary reason for most collars is a larger hole for hollowing can be made too small for a finger to enter to explore the inside! Must be too, that we're like the children from Lake Wobegone (sp?), all of whom are above average.

Yer really cruizin' fer a bruizin' today Arch. What? - Feeling a bit hormonal? BTW, I think that in today's sensitivities you might soon find yourself in line down at the welfare if you put "drop dead gorgeous" into a personnel evaluation.

Not at all. We are just good folks who remember what mama said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." But under our breath we note the sanding scratches; flattened curve; tearout; and splotchy finish.

The outstanding items leave us speechless - which of course, is the opposite affect that mama was trying to instill.

So far, we all agree that a fine turning might or might not be enhanced by an appropriate collar, but that a fine collar won't salvage a flawed piece. Further, a collar might be for a technical purpose instead of an esthetic one. Also, we agree that supportive praise and suggestions for improving a 'nice' turning are desirable. I think we agree that these suggestions (which can be implied criticisms) should be limited by courtesy, but we disagree on whether or not praise should also have its limits. I think it should, others don't, and that is not a bad thing. :) Arch

Fortiter,

Hey Arch,

When I first read your post, I thought that you were in for a scorching. Like in 'this time Ole Arch has gored some sacred oxen'. Never did I suspect that so many folks, whose opinions I highly respect, would jump in the same boat with you. All said it well, Lowell Converse said it best.

Ron Robinson East Texas

I dunno, but they sell better! 10,000 tourists can't be wrong. Can they?

...Kevin

Guess it depends on if you have an endless supply of nicely figured wood. An awful lot of wood just doesn't have much to say! The glueup may be technical, but there's still the issue of the form. A piece has to have nice lines and be well balanced proportionally, or neither fancy segmenting nor fine figure will make a whiff of difference. Most (but not all) of the time, by the time someone gets to the point where they can do a good job on the technical aspect they also do a pretty good job on the artistic. Whether or not the motif is overdone is another debate...

...Kevin

COC Chief, Sir, You must have a better class of tourists in Alaska. Here, they mosty go for Chinese M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e- knockoffs. With or without collars they sell about the same. :) Respects, Arch, COC, 1st.

Fortiter,

Fortiter, I suspect you are coming from having done turning for years and, having seen a 1000 collars, are tired of them. But maybe having seen a 1000 vessels without collars, others are equally tired of looking at the same shape and want to change it. Like many have said, if a collar is an intrinsic part of the turning and adds to the artistic statement I like it. I don't like collars just added to a piece because you decide to add a collar.

I guess I have the same thoughts about much in woodturning. The same old bowls, vessels, spindles, turned the same old way out of the same old wood, gets boring. How many times would you buy a piece of pottery that is exactly the same as 20 others that you already own? But we often do that in turning. It gets trite.

So I say if you are going to add a collar to help create a new form or a new way of expressing an old form, go for it. If you are just going to add a collar because it's what you do, it's going to look trite.

Earl

Nah, they're a bunch of cheapskates here too! LOL. But they seem to like brightly colored exotic wood, so a little purpleheart on a bland birch vessel will "push you over the top" so to speak...

...Kevin

Arch,

I have to say that I dont have an answer to your question because it seems that the only person who describes my work in those terms is my mother!

It seem that after 40 years she would still love it if I made her an ashtray even though she doesnt and has never smoked!

Robert