8" Sakura Bowl for a Friend....

[Stuart Ablett]

I whipped this one off the lathe today, as a gift for a friend Neil who came to visit me in the hospital a lot, and entertained me by teasing the nurses (all in good fun).
Neil and his wife came by the shop the other day, and bought a nice 1/2 bottle of Champagne, they said it was a present so could be please wrap it up, we did, then they gave it to Emiko and I for a combo Mother's Day/Birthday present to us.

Emiko and I enjoyed it that evening. I know it sounds funny to give wine to a wine merchant, but to be honest, we would not have bought ourselves a nice bottle like that, so it was a treat.

This is for them as a "Thank You" from Emiko and I.........



This is Sakura (Cherry) that I got a while back, I made it a bit beefy, as I want them to use it, and they have 3 sons, ages 1 to 5 so I know it will see some banging around, thus, no sharp edges either

The finish is just mineral oil, easy to keep up. The bowl is about 8" in diameter.

Pics taking with the new cell phone camera, I'm still figuring out which settings are the best.

Thanks for looking, comments and critiques welcome!

 

[MichaelMouse]

That is some fast-growing stuff! Nice classic shape.

The cherry I turn is mostly from areas where it has at least a token struggle for light against the poplars with which it shares freshly bare ground. That, coupled with the climate, makes a tighter pattern. Neighbor once gave me some wood from a tree that grew unshaded and downhill from the barn cleaner that had that kind of annual ring difference, but it was a real rarity.

That is the national tree, so to speak, right?

 

[john lucas]

Beautiful STu. I think you kept it clean and simple. I'm impressed with the photography. I can't believe a phone did that.

 

[Stuart Ablett]

Thanks for the feedback!

The wood is from a tree that was in a yard, the tree was ill and dying, thus it was taken down, the dark pattern you see is from the sickness the tree had.

I don't think the Sakura is the "National Tree of Japan", I think that is the Sugi, or Japanese Cedar (it's "False Cypress"), is, but I know what you mean, everyone loves the Sakura (Ornamental Cherry), and the cherry blossoms are a welcome beginning of spring each year.

John, the camera is not the normal cell camera, but a new (Japan Only) Sony Cybershot cell camera, it is WAY cool :cool2: 5.1 Mega Pixel camera and a lot of other stuff too!

Cheers!

 

[Gretch Flo]

"cherry bowl"

Stu-John beat me to it. I am impressed with the phone photo-I hardly use or know how to use a cell phone (basic, free one) period.(gift from son-in-law when I failed to meet them at the correct movie theater entrance!!) I like the shape and the finish is perfect!!!-nice satin look.I used to use mineral oil, but turn alot of spalted and "punky" wood at times. I had some oil seep into the cloth/or furniture under it. Learned a lesson!!! Your "cherry" is also yellower than what I am used to . Nice job, Gretch

 

[Gretch Flo]

Japanese cedar

Stu-is oriental cedar the same as Japanese cedar?? I work at Michigan State University where they have alot of "foreign" trees. They have a huge Katsura tree (planted 130 yrs ago) in one of the botanical gardens at Japanese visitors say is much bigger than ones they have. I got to turn some bowls from a large branch that fell. The grounds dept has been very helpful to me getting me some wood. They gave me an 8 inch diameter 2 foot log of "oriental cedar". I made a nice weed pot and gave to Grounds Dept, and have one piece left. I didn't photo the vase. Will make another, Just curious. Thanks, Gretch

 

[Stuart Ablett]

Thanks for the nice comments Gretch

I'm not sure what your "Oriental" cedar is, but it sounds to me like the "Japanese or Chinese Cedar, (called "Sugi" in Japanese, dunno about Chinese...?) is most likely a kind of Cypress. I know that that when I first came here (18 years ago) I was really shocked to see the wood that they were calling "Cedar", coming from the West coast of Canada, I was used to a VERY different kind of cedar.

Off on a tangent, the cell phone is amazing, I also have HD TV, digital radio, GPS navi, Blue Tooth, the list just goes on and on

I got the black one :cool2:

 

[MichaelMouse]

Anymore it's "Still, video ... and it also can serve as a phone."

Interesting reading about the Sugi, which is apparently a relative of the sequoia. Looks superficially like the ones we had as Christmas trees in California. Favorite tree for bonsai cultivation as well. Lots of different cultivars and subspecies according to the 'net. Makes the common-name game a real challenge, as always.

Is the greenish color from flourescent light or the wood? Our domestic has green, but it's normally confined in narrow bands.