Does your signature make your.....

[Odie]

....bowl look good.

Or, is it the other way around?

=o=

 

[Curt Fuller]

, neither. My handwriting is so bad.....I make my signature as inconspicuous as possible.

 

[Phil Hamel]

Somedays I don't know which one is worse!

 

[Darryl Fective]

I'm thinking mine sets expectations lower.

 

[David Wyke]

Depends on how you interpret the question.
In my case the bowl makes my signature look good. Not that there is anything wrong with my signature, very legible, and I have always printed in a unique way. People sometimes comment on my signature asking if I’m left handed.
Now if I was a well know turner featured in magazines, my name used in advertising for galleries, etc., my signature may make my bowls look good.
I have seen some well know turners in my state with exceptional work but the signature could use some work. I have also seen some well known local in state turners where I was disappointed in the work but they had a “ signature”.

 

[Rip Littig]

It really depends on wood species for me. Using a pyrography pen, I struggle on walnut for instance but can make my signature look great on beech. It's all part of the process for me, just like making a continuous curve or removing sanding scratches with each grit of abrasive. Sometimes we do a better or worse job every step of the way.

 

[Odie]

This thread was a spontaneous act, and I was unsure of what it would bring to the table......interesting views.

=o=

 

[Odie]

Oh by the way,

My own "signature" is a stylized version of my initials....very simple.

For me, it works well....but obviously not for everyone.

I feel my woodworking skills compliment my signature and brings meaning to it that wouldn't be there without it.

=o=

 

[Randy Anderson]

I wouldn't call it better or worse. The goal is to make it look authentic, personalized and original. Not mass produced.

 

[Odie]

The goal is to make it look authentic, personalized and original. Not mass produced.

Good point.....and in my opinion, using laser technology for a "signature" takes away from being personalized and original at a subconscious level. This is an area where technology, as impressive as it is, does tend to give feelings of mass production.

=o=

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

My laser burned "signature" is impersonal, IMO. I'm looking at ways to make it less so. I will probably add my hand written signature to the laser images.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Good point.....and in my opinion, using laser technology for a "signature" takes away from being personalized and original at a subconscious level. This is an area where technology, as impressive as it is, does tend to give feelings of mass production.

=o=

I use that technology, and I agree with you.

 

[Odie]

I use that technology, and I agree with you.

For some, using laser technology is not a deterrent to interest in your work.....and, my intention isn't to disparage it for those who do use it. In my case, and in my opinion only, the "handmade" aspect remains my total focus.....so, my "signature" suits my intentions.

=o=

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I thought you were being humerus. I was gonna say my signature can add a lot of value... if I spell my name
J-a-c-q-u-e-s V-e-s-e-r-y

(just kidding)

 

[John K Jordan]

....bowl look good.

Or, is it the other way around?

=o=

Neither. I put my name, species, and usually the date on a piece
- to remind people, maybe years later, where they got it
- to remind me of when I made the thing and what wood I used.
Don't put it on spindles like wands and tops except in special cases. Leave it off half the boxes I make, especially those of very dark woods.

I've seen people number their pieces, never did that. Maybe I'll start numbering everything with "001".

I do appreciate the signature on pieces people have given me, Mark StLeger, Mike Stafford, Nick Cook, Frank Penta, Brian Horais, etc.

I mentioned this before: when I first started turning I knew NO turners. A friend told me to just put my name on pieces and they would sell like crazy. That's when I found out about the "other" John Jordan. But I wasn't interested in selling. I always include my middle initial to avoid any accidental confusion., At my first club meeting when visitors introduced themselves a woman sitting in the row in front of me turned around and asked "Are you THE John Jordan from Nashville?" I said no. She turned away then turned back around: "Are you sure?" Ha!

Once at a NC symposium I heard someone behind me talking to their companion: "After we leave here lets drive through TN and visit the famous John Jordan." The companion: "You know there are two famous woodturners in TN now?" She was quite confused, of course, but I turned around and introduced myself anyway. Good fun.

JKJ

 

[Odie]

Once at a NC symposium I heard someone behind me talking to their companion: "After we leave here lets drive through TN and visit the famous John Jordan." The companion: "You know there are two famous woodturners in TN now?" She was quite confused, of course, but I turned around and introduced myself anyway. Good fun.

JKJ

You know John.....it's one thing to be a recognized name among those who pursue woodturning......and, it's another thing entirely to become a name recognized among those who purchase art in the retail market.

Regardless, your turning skills are photographically impressive, and you and I both know what is shown through the lens is an altogether different thing than the inner workings of your shop operations.

=o=

 

[Webb Willmott]

I can see it now……..Found lurking in the parking lot of a crafts fair……

Pssst, hey lady, do want to buy a piece turned by John Jordan from Tennessee? I’ll make you a deal.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

I can see it now……..Found lurking in the parking lot of a crafts fair……

Pssst, hey lady, do want to buy a piece turned by John Jordan from Tennessee? I’ll make you a deal.

Conveniently leave out the middle initial K. Now he's famous. (JKJ is famous in his own right).

 

[robo hippy]

For some, it is how they remember my name.... Name, year, species.

robo hippy

 

[William Rogers]

I guess I am just different as I don’t see the laser any more than the way you sign something. I scanned my actual signature and use my laser. I put my full name and not just initials. My view is nitials are not a signature, more of a stamp. So in my view the laser is just another method like using a marker or wood burner. At least it is not an “autopen"

Our club does wig stands. Here is how mine are signed. They get painted.by a local high school art class.

 

[David Wyke]

I do prefer to use a hand signature with wood burner or pen. I finally started numbering my bowls because people would ask for certain bowls on my page and I had a hard time finding the right one.
I see nothing wrong with using a laser, just not my personal preference.

 

[John K Jordan]

it's another thing entirely to become a name recognized among those who purchase art in the retail market.

Yes!

I have nothing at all against those who make to sell, but I'm thankful I wasn't born with marketing genes! If this were a job I don't think it would be fun anymore, I'd rather give things away than sell them. I've had several people even come from out-of-state for turning lessons and some are surprised when they ask the cost: "My fee is a good story or a good joke." One guy still owes me...

However I do sell some things: I incubate peacock eggs and raise them, mostly because I enjoy the process and the interaction with the animals. I do sell them - the money helps pay for the equipment and the feed which keeps on going up. But I tend to end up with too many birds. I have too many young peacocks and guineas this year. Send me your address and I'll ship some birds. Or would your rather have an alpaca?

The famous JJ once did a hollowing demo on the sidewalk outside the Knoxville Museum of Art. Not well advertised, I think, since only a few of us showed up. Afterwards a museum director asked him to look at a piece they had in their collection - needed some minor touchup or something. The guy brought it out wrapped in soft cloth, in a bag in a box IIRC, carried it like it was the Hope Diamond. I knew JJ had pieces in museums and the hands of collectors all over the world, but that was my first direct experience with the respect others had for his work. Good fun!

 

[Webb Willmott]

Has anyone tried the Scorch pen?

 

[Odie]

Has anyone tried the Scorch pen?

I've never heard of it, but here is a link:

Scorch Marker Pro - 3 Pack

A 3 pack of Scorch Marker Pros - Draw with your marker - apply some heat - and watch your design burn into the wood!

scorchmarker.com

So, once the mark is made, how much heat does it take to burn in?

That question seems very important to how well it would work for this product.

=============================

Here's why we called it the Scorch Marker Pro.

• Its easy
• Draw your design
• Apply heat
• Watch it burn into the wood

Introducing the Scorch Marker Pro - the original Woodburning Marker that's safe & easy to use! These DIY craft markers are filled with a non-toxic solution that reacts to heat! Simply draw your design, apply heat, and watch your masterpiece burn right into the wood! If you can draw it, you can burn it.

==============================


=o=