Learning the Turning #17
Huon Pine
Iridescent grain is my reward for spending twice as much time as usual on this one.
I went into the project with the earnest desire of making this bowl worth the centuries it took to grow the tree. Arrogant, much? Maybe, but it's pretty easy to be humble in the face of something that took so long to grow.
I must say I'm rather pleased with this one. Sunrise on one end, sunset on the other.
Although Huon Pine has a very dense grain structure, it's not entirely homogenous -- there's complexity and figuring and drift in this, almost as if it were some geological feature, rather than botanical. Certainly I was aware of its age, as much as an ephemeral meat popsicle can be aware of such, and if you look closely at this piece you can almost feel the warmth and chill of each growth ring. I apply effort, and am rewarded with imagination and the shy exposure of a tree's inner beauty.
My photo, as usual, doesn't do it justice.
By the way, I am now numbering these bowls, so they can be matched up with their documentation in this blog. Which will last longer, the bowl or the bytes?
Net result is a small bowl that feels and looks as if it were made out of finely spun glass. I love Huon Pine.
ReplyDeleteThe Bowl! I vote for the bowl lasting longer. And no, it is never arrogant to humble oneself to the dignity of the materials. That's what a craftsman does. True craftsmanship, in any field, is the marrying of material and method. If you are in awe of the natural part of the equation, it's because you have done your part in the handiwork. A craftsman, dare I say artist, reveals the beauty within. The selection of a simple form to best show the beauty of the material speaks to a maturity of approach--a solid anchor in the aesthetics of form, function and execution.
ReplyDeleteYour words are kind, m'lady, and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteAnd thinking about it, Huon Pine is inherently bug-repellent. You can't say the same thing about a string of bytes...
ReplyDelete