This piece is the result of having lived on the Mississippi Coast during Hurricane Katrina and taking a course last month from Stephen Hatcher in crystal mineral inlays at the John Campbell Folk School. It's a maple platter, almost 14" in diameter, inlayed with crystal minerals. The rim and design were carved about 1/4" deep then filled with calcite in three degrees of courseness, saturated with CA glue and sanded (for many hours). The trees' smaller branches were done with a woodburner. This is my 1st named woodturning, "Katrina Tree #1."
The tree is a composite of two trees on Hwy 90 in Pass Christian, Ms. and is typical of many of the live oaks that lost the limbs facing the windward or Gulf side during Hurricane Katrina. We lived on the water on the Mississippi Coast and lost our house which took four years to rebuild and sell. During that time we made a lot of trips from our new home in Pensacola back to the Mississippi Coast and took a lot pictures of post Katrina destruction.
Thanks to all of you guys who offered help for the problems I was having with the finish, especially to David Christopher who invited me to his shop and taught me some of his techniques.