Donna Banfield
TOTW Team
My choice for Turning of the week of August 18. 2025 is @Nino G. Cocchiarella's Three Sisters. Beginning with a challenging wood, Siberian Elm (actually any Elm), which is prone to tear out, and is generally a cantankerous species, Nino has made not one, not two, but three outstanding turnings from this wood.
Each hollow form has subtle curves, with no flat area visible on any of the three hollow forms. On the flat surfaces, Nino has cut cleanly across the side grain, leaving no evidence of tear from the tool. His finished surface is soft, a non-reflective satin which likely feels as good as it looks in this image. Everyone loves a good story, and Nino gives us a great one to share in the making of these three pieces.
If I were going to find a nit to pick, it would be in the photography. When choosing to use a black background, you need a lot of light. And black absorbs light like a thirsty sponge in a 3-year desert drought. Using a whiteboard (or any white surface for reflection) at 45-degree angles in front of both sides can bounce the light from above (and what appears to be from the right side) and illuminate the bottom of these three beautiful forms.
Beautiful work, Nino! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Each hollow form has subtle curves, with no flat area visible on any of the three hollow forms. On the flat surfaces, Nino has cut cleanly across the side grain, leaving no evidence of tear from the tool. His finished surface is soft, a non-reflective satin which likely feels as good as it looks in this image. Everyone loves a good story, and Nino gives us a great one to share in the making of these three pieces.
If I were going to find a nit to pick, it would be in the photography. When choosing to use a black background, you need a lot of light. And black absorbs light like a thirsty sponge in a 3-year desert drought. Using a whiteboard (or any white surface for reflection) at 45-degree angles in front of both sides can bounce the light from above (and what appears to be from the right side) and illuminate the bottom of these three beautiful forms.
Beautiful work, Nino! Thanks for sharing this with us.
