Candy Dish with Oriental feel

[Peter Blair]

Here I go again.
This one is the first two part piece I have tried with the top being a negative space design.
Top is Cherry, handle and bowl are vine maple. All finished with Walnut oil.
It's about 6 1/2 x 3 1/2.
Thanks for looking.
C & C are welcome as usual. Always looking for ways to improve . . . . .


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[Fred Belknap]

Pete that is some nice looking candy dish. Not a critic but when I see something I really like I try to make a comment. I have trouble with lids fitting the bowls I make, seems like over time and humidity they get out of round, wonder if your design would be more stable? That would make a good potpourri bowl.

[Dennis Ford]

I really like the lid, good inspiration. The bowl is nice but the lid over-powers it.

[Peter Blair]

Hey Fred/ Dennis. Thanks for looking and being brave enough to comment. I wonder what is going on? If I had posted this a couple of weeks ago I would have had lots of views, just like this time BUT I would also have had lots of "atta boys" and IMO's. Do you suppose the thread about critiques has caused some Creekers to hesitate or I guess it just could be that you two are the only ones who looked and had something to say. It is a little puzzling though.

[Justin Stephen]

I really like the lid, good inspiration. The bowl is nice but the lid over-powers it.

I agree. I'm not in love with the lid's handle either, but that is just based on my own sense of aesthetics. I see what you were trying to do here, use the ring from one of your negative space pieces to fit into the rabbet of a vessel. I think the idea has promise, but I think the length of the petals on your lid overpower the bowl underneath.

It makes me wonder how I would feel about it if it were all maple or all cherry, since cherry tends to overpower maple a little to begin with.

[Robert McGowen]

While the technical skill is obvious, I do not see the two pieces together as that appealing. I think that there is way to much overhang on the lid. Even though the lid has the negative space design, I think that the first thing to think about would be the overall design of the dish and then incorporate the negative space design into it. It looks to me like you turned the lid and then turned the bowl to try and showcase the lid without designing it to go together.

[Scott Hackler]

Peter, I like the negative space lid. In fact I think its a great use of that kind of design and using it as a lid is a great idea. I don't care for the knob and the base though. I feel like the knob is a little large and the color contrast btween the two woods isnt working for me. Now I could envision a piece where you turned two similar negative space pieces and clamshelled them together so the bottom and tops's fingers interlaced some how.

Hows that for a critique?

[Peter Blair]

Thanks Scott. I like it!

[Michelle Rich]

good morning Peter: I think you did a good job with Harvey's design..the lid looks well crafted. The overhang does not appeal to me, but unlike others, I think the knob is neat,,maybe just make it a tad smaller? The pictures without the bowl, give us all a good look.

[Eric Gourieux]

I think I'm with the others. Your skill is evident. The lid and handle appear too large for the bowl and the color contrast accentuates that. If it was all the same color, or if the lid were smaller, I'd find it more appealing. This piece is very well done, though. Keep 'em coming.

[Peter Blair]

Thanks everyone! The suggestions for improvement are really appreciated. As I think most or all of you deducted I did struggle with the sizes, both of the bowl and the handle. It is a first attempt for me at a marriage between a 'typical' bowl and a negative space design. No where near as satisfying to me as either by it's self.

[Tim Rinehart]

Pete, I like this concept alot and the color contrast of woods is very pleasing. The knob, as mentioned is a bit heavy for rest of piece, but I'm struggling with the comments regarding the overhang. What I'm wondering is if it's the amount of overhang, or the weight of the lid in general. Thinking about what the piece would look like were the lid a bit lighter??
Also, it's difficult to tell from that first pic without a more front on shot, but it seems like the foot of the bowl is pretty large for this size piece, and while the top has a nice ogee flow to it, that isn't immediately evident on the bowl from the pics provided.

[Peter Blair]

Hi Tim and thanks for the comments. When I started out on this piece I wanted to 'show case' the top but needed something to sort of show it off on. I didn't want the bowl or underneath part to compete with the detail of the top. From what I am reading here it sounds like I didn't really think enough about what I wanted to present. Anyway, I am much appreciative of all the suggestions and am already thinking about a second piece in which I will try to incorporate many of the suggestions I received.
Here is a 'more front shot' it does show a little more of the bowl detail.
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