Elm Bowl

[Kathy Marshall]

This is from a big ole chunk of elm I received as a trade from a fellow turner in Colorado. It's been sitting since December, waiting for me to decide what I wanted to turn, and has developed plenty of cracks. I decided to turn a bowl, so I cut off a blank thinking I might be able to turn most of the cracks away.

I started out with a traditional bowl shape, but the cracks were just too deep, so I made a little design change. The remaining cracks I filled with turquoise and epoxy, to tone down the turnuoise, I added some black metalic flakes to the mix.

I really like how it turned out, I like how the growth rings flow around the piece, and I think it may go to my mom on mother's day. The pics are after a coat of BLO and the 1st coat of WOP. It's about 9" x 4" with 1/8" walls tapering to about 1/4" at the bottom.

4-27-11 035b.jpg4-27-11 032s.jpg4-27-11 031s.jpg
4-27-11 033b.jpg4-27-11 034b.jpg

Thanks for looking!
As always, comments and critiques are welcome.

[Art Manansala]

Beautiful work Kathy. You're right - I really like how the lines swirl around the foot and bottom of the bowl. Too bad about the cracks but it looks like you found a good way to add character.

Art

[Dan Forman]

Kathy---I really like the form, that first picture seems like a good representation of a vortex, love the grain lines as they descend into the funnel. I may have to copy that...er, allow myself to be influenced by that form. I'm glad this went the direction it did. Do you have much elm down there, and do you like it?

Dan

[John Hart]

A Vortex Bowl!! I love it. This is one of my favorite forms and you did it nicely. Great looking figure ma'am!!

[Michelle Rich]

John hit the nail on the head: a vortex bowl very cool

[Roger Chandler]

+1 on the vortex bowl..........that finish you used really made this one "pop" .............too bad you had to take so much off because of the cracking..........that is pretty wood.

[philip labre]

Great bowl, Kathy! I've been really liking this shape lately, myself. Nice job on the crack repairs too.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Kathy - very nice work! Sure is some pretty wood! Nice form, finish and inlay work! Also like the slight warping! Your Mom is going to love it!

[Harry Robinette]

Kathy
Nice save on a pretty piece of wood. I'm amazed at the dark color all the Elm I get here in Ohio is much lighter. Your pic #4 looks a little closer in color to what I've been seeing around here but still a little darker.

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks Everyone! I'm actually thankful for the cracks, if I had turned a traditional bowl shape as planned, I don't think it would have nearly as much interest or "vortex" factor.
I've got another piece chucked for a hollow form, hopefully it will turn out as nice.

Kathy---I really like the form, that first picture seems like a good representation of a vortex, love the grain lines as they descend into the funnel. I may have to copy that...er, allow myself to be influenced by that form. I'm glad this went the direction it did. Do you have much elm down there, and do you like it?

Dan

Thanks Dan! Feel free to copy...er feel infuenced by the form, it's not mine, I just borrowed it
Not sure which type of elm this is, I know it came from CO but don't know if it's a native there or just came from someone's yard. The only elm I'm aware of in the Phx area is chinese/evergreen elm (planted heavily as a landscape tree). Haven't come across any of that wood yet.
I do like the color and grain of this elm, but it doesn't turn as sweetly as sissoo or mesquite. Haven't turned any oak in a while, but I think that's what I'd compare it to. It did sand up nicely though.

A Vortex Bowl!! I love it. This is one of my favorite forms and you did it nicely. Great looking figure ma'am!!

Thanks John! and thanks for naming this one I think Vortex Bowl fits nicely!

Kathy
Nice save on a pretty piece of wood. I'm amazed at the dark color all the Elm I get here in Ohio is much lighter. Your pic #4 looks a little closer in color to what I've been seeing around here but still a little darker.

Thanks Harry! I'm really liking the color on this one. The only other elm I've turned were a couple of bowl blanks I picked up at woodworkers resource, one was labeled red elm the other grey elm and neither one came close to this.
These were the 2nd and 3rd bowls I'd ever done. One on the left is grey elm, one on the right is red elm.
grey elm 2b.jpgred elm 1b.jpg

[Dan Forman]

Kathy,

The Vortex bowl looks like the stuff that I find around here, which is Siberian elm, same rich reddish color.

Dan

[John Keeton]

Very rich color on this one, Kathy! The inlay really shows well, too.

[Dick Wilson]

Kathy, Isn't it interesting how Mother Nature sometimes forces you to work around things and you end up with something beautiful? I certainly happened here.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Kathy, that is a very nice bowl. You are a versatile woodturner!

[David E Keller]

That's a cool piece, Kathy. I really like this form and the warping. Another great fill job, too.