First up here is a stained Sycamore bowl from Brendan Kelly. It’s an unusual shape, and from the photos I can’t see if the shape is the same on the inside. Brendan says that the Sycamore was badly stained giving it a dirty appearance so he decided to colour it.
Brendan Phelan presents a beautifully turner piece and adds a bit of fun to it with the inclusion of an “egg”. I’m struggling to decide what to call the piece – goblet, vase, pedestal bowl. Brendan calls it a vase so we’ll settle on that. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter what it is called, it is a piece that no doubt was an achievement to complete in one piece and an even bigger achievement, and an indication of Brendan’s skill that the finish looks flawless.
Cecil Barron has gone Green this month and has reduced, reused and recycled – a cutting from one of his rose bushes. The result is a remarkably attractive little piece with a natural symmetry that enchants.
An off-centre bowl from Laburnum crotch is Colum Murphy’s offering this month. A tough enough piece to complete, I’d guess, given the irregularity of the wood. It is well designed, well executed and impeccably finished, especially given the varying densities and grain directions that can be encountered in crotch wood.
John O’Neill says his piece this month is a nod to the work of Emmet Kane, the wood is ash, he soaked the wood in water for 24 hours and was hoping for more distortion as it dried. Black is a difficult colour to photograph and I don’t think the piece is done justice here. It is not clear how deep the grooves go or if there is any shape “within the grooves”. Probably a piece that needs to be seen in the flesh.
Finally, an impressionist banana from Tony Hartney. I looked at this for some time trying to figure out why this banana looks different. I finally figured it out – I’m sure you will too. The overall shape and colouring has been captured perfectly, and it looks good enough to eat, except I will not touch a banana if there is any black on the skin.
My choice for first place in this category has hovered between two of the entries. Having slept on it, and viewed the entries afresh, I have opted for Colum Murphy’s Laburnum crotch bowl as my choice for first place.
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