Mulberry Swirl was the first piece I turned on my new Stubby lathe back in November of 2008. There was a large bark inclusion on the rim that popped out and I wasn't happy with the way it looked. I tossed it aside waiting for an idea.
A Symposium session with Sharon Doughtie gave me the idea I was looking for. I grabbed a cutting wheel and sliced a long spiral down the entire piece, reshaping the ugly void. The slice was further carved to give the illusion of one side slipping under the other.
The growth rings moved quite a bit, leaving ridges on the surface. I loved how it felt so I used a rough sanding mop to enhance the "sand blasted" surface. I love turning endgrain! It feels very earthy and begs to be held. The piece has a bit of burl & birdseye here and there and the chatoyance makes it glow.
The color reminded me of ancient gold vessel. To emphasize this I put a tiny amount of micro-holographic gold dust in with the wipe-on poly.
