I'm filling in for Odie this week. I hope he'll be pleased with my choice.
For the glowing finish, spectacular form, beautiful timber, and optional utility, my selection for this week's featured turning is Clayton Thigpen's Bradford Pear Jewelry Box. Clayton, this piece is unbelievably beautiful. In a gallery full of stellar work, this one rose to the top for me. I love your thoughtful design that juxtaposes crisp angles and flat rings with smooth contours and beads. Your texturing details further enhance the form, and are tastefully placed to 1) frame the handle of the lid, and 2) to offer the viewer a nice surprise underneath the lid. If I had to guess, there might be a bit more texture on the foot/bottom of the body. If not, that's totally fine.
You've also achieved a nice grain match with your lid and body--a detail that might be overlooked, or even discounted as unimportant by some, but can certainly be appreciated as a nice detail. There was a recent discussion on this forum about side-grain boxes, and this piece is an excellent example of why one might choose side-grain over end-grain. The swirling grain lines and perpendicular compression figure are wildly attractive.
Clayton, for all of these reasons and more, I'm very happy to choose your lovely jewelry box for Turning of the Week. Congrats!
For the glowing finish, spectacular form, beautiful timber, and optional utility, my selection for this week's featured turning is Clayton Thigpen's Bradford Pear Jewelry Box. Clayton, this piece is unbelievably beautiful. In a gallery full of stellar work, this one rose to the top for me. I love your thoughtful design that juxtaposes crisp angles and flat rings with smooth contours and beads. Your texturing details further enhance the form, and are tastefully placed to 1) frame the handle of the lid, and 2) to offer the viewer a nice surprise underneath the lid. If I had to guess, there might be a bit more texture on the foot/bottom of the body. If not, that's totally fine.
You've also achieved a nice grain match with your lid and body--a detail that might be overlooked, or even discounted as unimportant by some, but can certainly be appreciated as a nice detail. There was a recent discussion on this forum about side-grain boxes, and this piece is an excellent example of why one might choose side-grain over end-grain. The swirling grain lines and perpendicular compression figure are wildly attractive.
Clayton, for all of these reasons and more, I'm very happy to choose your lovely jewelry box for Turning of the Week. Congrats!
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