Red Oak Burl Wood Vase Form (OA116)

A mighty New England Red Oak grew the burl for this vase form that is alive with wild grain, and is inlaid with turquoise. There is a natural void on one side (see second thumbnail below); due to this, the vessel could only be partially hollowed. It's capped with a Cherry collar (with 5/8 inch hole). In tribute to its stout parent tree, this gem weighs in at about 3 pounds. It's satin smooth, and the turquoise inlay highlights the grain that only nature can create.  This vase form could hold a small amount of dried flowers, but its beauty may be best enjoyed as is. The finish is multiple coats of tung oil varnish, buffed and polished with hard carnauba wax to a medium gloss sheen.   Diameter: 51/4 inches at the shoulder     Height: 73/4 inches       Price: $325 Shipping: $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

If ever a piece of wood brought to mind a Tiger skin, this must be it. Yes, you're right... this is not a vessel, so why is it on the "Vessels" page? I wish I had a profound answer. Nevertheless, it's a large, stunning slab of Salmon Gum Burl (Western Australia). The tree is an evergreen Eucalyptus species, so named because of its salmon-red bark. This was a slice taken off a sizable burl; its thickness varies, but is approximately 1/2 inch at the edges, and about 3/4 inch near the center. The edges are the natural edge of the burl. These burls characteristically have dozens of fissures (the dark lines) that give the piece its tiger skin appearance (along with the rich colors). The gold-colored areas around the perimeter have wonderfully wavy grain, as you can see in the closeups. This art piece is a wall hanging, and has a wire on the reverse side by which it can be hung. Imagine entering a living room or conference room where your eye is immediately drawn to the tiger skin on the wall. Fortunately, no tiger has to perish to provide such a dramatic work of nature. The finish is semi-gloss urethane oil varnish, buffed and polished with finishing waxes.  Width: 22 inches Height: 241/2 inches  Weight: 71/2 lbs      Price: $425 Shipping: $28 (Parcel Post) to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

Tasmanian Blackwood (also known as Black Acacia) is considered by many in the musical instrument world to be a possible replacement for its Acacia relative, rare Hawaiian Koa.  With its rich, warm color, attractive grain pattern, and sapwood highlight at the rim, this vase will stand out on any table, mantle, or bookshelf.   Finely sanded, and finished in tung oil, it was buffed and polished with hard carnauba wax to a very soft feeling, glass-smooth satin sheen. Please note that this vase is intended to hold dry materials, not water; or, display it as is to just appreciate its beauty.   Diameter: 51/2 inches at the rim, 4 inches at the base    Height: 7 inches      Price: $250 Shipping: $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

Some woodturners shy away from turning Manzanita Root Burl because it's been known to "explode" on the lathe, due to the fact that it's typically laced with deep drying cracks and fissures. But the gorgeous earthy red color, and figure, of this California mountain shrub's wood makes it well worth the care and patience required to turn it. There is little area in the vase that doesn't have cracks, voids, bark inclusions, or holes, and at times I wondered what was holding it together. But those are the features that give Manzanita its intrigue and appeal, like an archaeological pottery artifact. The vase has a lustrous semi-gloss finish. Diameter: 8 inches at the rim, 3 inches at the base.    Height: 9 inches      Price: $450 Shipping: $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

One of the fascinating little discoveries on an autumn walk in the fields of western Massachusetts is that certain wildflowers seem to try to immortalize their delicate, tiny flowers by drying them out in the fall, hardening their tissue paper-like seed pods into woody structures that might endure, at least for a little while. Some, like Campion, look like miniature unopened roses made of wood. A bit of experimentation with the flower bud theme resulted in this, "The Rosebud". The pinkish red highlights that naturally occur in this wood are so suggestive of some of the rose varieties available today.    The vessel is hollow, turned and carved from a chunk of Boxelder Burl, and weighs a mere 51/2 ounces. As is common in Boxelder Burl, there are bark inclusions that decorate the piece with dark streaks.  A few dried flowers could be nicely displayed in this vessel, or you can just appreciate the complexities of nature in a simple form all by itself. You can read more about this piece and/or comment in my blog.   Diameter:  4 inches.    Height:   5 inches.      Price:  $135 Shipping:  $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

Spring brings a welcome profusion of lilac blossoms in New England, loading the air around old homesteads with a heady perfume. In celebration of that too-short bloom time, this beautifully figured Boxelder Burl hollow vessel has been dyed to serve as a harbinger of what awaits us again next spring. The pattern of swirls exploding outward from the central birdseye patch inspired the name "Lilac Blast". The dyes applied to the piece highlight the mesmerizing figure found in Boxelder Burl. Finished in a glass-smooth semi-gloss, the vessel is capped by an undyed neck with a natural bark-edge rim. Diameter: 51/2 inches at the shoulder     Height: 9 inches       Price: $395 Shipping: $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

Inspired by autumn-dried wildflower seed pods that become woody and persist well into winter, I've been turning and carving these "wood roses". This one is Cherry, with both cream-colored sapwood and that familiar heartwood blending into the finished piece. The vessel is hollow, turned and carved from a chunk of a Cherry tree that was downed by the June 1, 2011 tornado that tore a 39-mile scar across western Massachusetts. It wasn't until the turning  was completed that I noticed the pattern shown in the main photo ... it's a funnel cloud! Silky smooth, the vessel has a semi-gloss finish. You can read more about these "wood roses" in my blog.   Diameter:  41/4 inches.    Height:   5 inches.      Price:  $135 Shipping:  $12 to U.S. destinations. Contact me for international rates.

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