Turning of the week for January 15, 2024

[Emiliano Achaval]

I'm always amazed by the amount and the quality of the work posted daily in the gallery. It makes picking the TOTW a very difficult decision.

Since the AAW is promoting the TOTW on social media, I have started to be very picky about the quality of the picture. Sadly, I saw one amazing piece of art, but the background was cluttered, almost like an afterthought picture. Your work deserves better. Take the time to set up a lightbox, or just put something behind it. Our own Forum expert, former professional photographer John Lucas, has written a lot about the subject here and in magazines.

This week's TOTW honor goes to Marc Banka for his "Whitened Ash Bowl". I can't tell if he left a foot or not or if he made a recess. What the picture shows is a perfect timeless design, a low-sided Hawaiian Calabash. The picture is as good as the perfect curve of the bowl. I love how he sloped the rim just a little inwards, allowing the curve to flow into the inside curves. With or without a foot, this bowl just stood out to me. I felt like I wanted to feel it, pick it up, and find out for myself. Congratulations Marc!

 

[Nick Valenza]

Great Job on the curve, Marc!

 

[Dean Center]

Wonderful bowl, Marc, and thank you Emiliano for recognizing the beauty of something simple and classic.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

Congrats Marc! I like how the grain is pronounced, even with the bleaching.

 

[Norm Marentette]

Congrats Marc, well done!

 

[David Bartell]

That's a beauty with wonderful shape!

 

[Marc Banka]

Thank you, Emiliano. It’s quite an honor, especially given the amazing work I enjoy on this forum. I’m humbled.

I enjoy working hard on the photography, and feel it’s an important part of what we do. And a skill to learn, no different than sharpening or finishing, or chainsaw work. Playing with light, attempting to convey to a viewer what I see in the piece, is fun!

The bottom is round, more round than had been my usual. I‘ve decided to let go of the fears of instability, to make the bottoms closer to spherical, to avoid flattening the curve. Without any figuring to upset the balance, this bowl sits level and wobbles nicely.

Thank you,

Marc

 

[Tom Gall]

Congratulations, Marc. That is one beautiful bowl! To produce a simple and perfect curved form is not as easy as it may appear. Well done!
Great choice, Emiliano .... appreciate and agree with your comments.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

Nice job Marc, congratulations. How did you go about whitening it.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Thank you, Emiliano. It’s quite an honor, especially given the amazing work I enjoy on this forum. I’m humbled.

I enjoy working hard on the photography, and feel it’s an important part of what we do. And a skill to learn, no different than sharpening or finishing, or chainsaw work. Playing with light, attempting to convey to a viewer what I see in the piece, is fun!

The bottom is round, more round than had been my usual. I‘ve decided to let go of the fears of instability, to make the bottoms closer to spherical, to avoid flattening the curve. Without any figuring to upset the balance, this bowl sits level and wobbles nicely.

Thank you,

Marc

View attachment 59333

Outstanding work. Very few people have been brave enough to make a round bottom without a quarter-size dimple. The Calabash is even better than what I thought! Take a look the page in the gallery where your calabash is. You will see that it is by far the best photograph, the one that pops up from the page, and your eyes go right to it. Well done!

 

[Russ Braun]

Congratulations on a fabulous Bowl and TOTW Marc!!

 

[Lou Jacobs]

A beautiful, elegant shape, wonderfully executed! Congratulations!!

 

[William Rogers]

congrats Marc, well deserved.

 

[Stephan Moll]

Awesome piece, awesome photography.

 

[Paul May]

Really an excellent piece of workmanship Marc! Congrats on TOTW!

 

[Thomas Matthews]

Very nice

 

[Dan Blankenberg]

Fantastic shape! Congrats

 

[Darryl Doonan]

I'm always amazed by the amount and the quality of the work posted daily in the gallery. It makes picking the TOTW a very difficult decision.

Since the AAW is promoting the TOTW on social media, I have started to be very picky about the quality of the picture. Sadly, I saw one amazing piece of art, but the background was cluttered, almost like an afterthought picture. Your work deserves better. Take the time to set up a lightbox, or just put something behind it. Our own Forum expert, former professional photographer John Lucas, has written a lot about the subject here and in magazines.

This week's TOTW honor goes to Marc Banka for his "Whitened Ash Bowl". I can't tell if he left a foot or not or if he made a recess. What the picture shows is a perfect timeless design, a low-sided Hawaiian Calabash. The picture is as good as the perfect curve of the bowl. I love how he sloped the rim just a little inwards, allowing the curve to flow into the inside curves. With or without a foot, this bowl just stood out to me. I felt like I wanted to feel it, pick it up, and find out for myself. Congratulations Marc!

 

[Darryl Doonan]

Very elegant! And crisp edge I like the simplicity of it too !

 

[Darryl Doonan]

Whoops didn’t mean to double up that reply sorry . Can I ask you where one might procure some white ash? Im from southern New Jersey and only thing I’ve come close to that is Bradford pear tree .

 

[Brian Gustin]

Whoops didn’t mean to double up that reply sorry . Can I ask you where one might procure some white ash? Im from southern New Jersey and only thing I’ve come close to that is Bradford pear tree .

Might be worth checking with your local tree services - Ash is pretty common wood through northeast U.S. , although it is in heavy decline due to the Ash Borer - which is why I suggested checking with tree guys , landscapers, etc - since many of them are likely regularly cutting out dead/dying/diseased Ash trees.. I'd be surprised if there were not still some stands of it in N.J. - plenty of it here in North Central PA still. If you have a local landfill or muncipal waste facility that takes yard waste and might allow residents to poke through , may be worth a visit to that dump and see if you can rescue some FOG wood from their dump pile, too? Hard to come by it however for turners in areas that see a lot of folks heating with Firewood, though - Although I have been known to pay Firewood price for a truck load of hardwoods dumped at my place (unsplit logs, especially if they come in 3 Ft sections instead of 16 inch lengths) - even if you can only turn three or four bowls out of all that wood, if you can sell 2 bowls at 30 bucks a pop, pretty much paid for the load of wood...

 

[William Boyle]

I'm always amazed by the amount and the quality of the work posted daily in the gallery. It makes picking the TOTW a very difficult decision.

Since the AAW is promoting the TOTW on social media, I have started to be very picky about the quality of the picture. Sadly, I saw one amazing piece of art, but the background was cluttered, almost like an afterthought picture. Your work deserves better. Take the time to set up a lightbox, or just put something behind it. Our own Forum expert, former professional photographer John Lucas, has written a lot about the subject here and in magazines.

This week's TOTW honor goes to Marc Banka for his "Whitened Ash Bowl". I can't tell if he left a foot or not or if he made a recess. What the picture shows is a perfect timeless design, a low-sided Hawaiian Calabash. The picture is as good as the perfect curve of the bowl. I love how he sloped the rim just a little inwards, allowing the curve to flow into the inside curves. With or without a foot, this bowl just stood out to me. I felt like I wanted to feel it, pick it up, and find out for myself. Congratulations Marc!

Beautiful Piece

 

[Michael Anderson]

Great bowl, Marc. I love the form, including the round bottom. Well deserved feature, congrats!

 

[Kurt Manley]

Elegant form Marc!

 

[Dimitris Psilopatis]

Excellent shape, simple and beautiful bowl. Congratulations!

 

[Alan Weinberg]

perfect shape. Love it.

 

[June Talvitie-Siple]

Lovely! It is so simple and clean to the point of elegance.

 

[Edward Doyle]

Beautiful work Marc! I’m just starting out and this is an inspiration.

 

[John Vaeth]

Beautiful bowl Marc and congratulations on being selected for TOTW. Sometimes the simplest forms are the hardest to perfect and the calabash bowl is a great example. Well done.

 

[Darryl Doonan]

Might be worth checking with your local tree services - Ash is pretty common wood through northeast U.S. , although it is in heavy decline due to the Ash Borer - which is why I suggested checking with tree guys , landscapers, etc - since many of them are likely regularly cutting out dead/dying/diseased Ash trees.. I'd be surprised if there were not still some stands of it in N.J. - plenty of it here in North Central PA still. If you have a local landfill or muncipal waste facility that takes yard waste and might allow residents to poke through , may be worth a visit to that dump and see if you can rescue some FOG wood from their dump pile, too? Hard to come by it however for turners in areas that see a lot of folks heating with Firewood, though - Although I have been known to pay Firewood price for a truck load of hardwoods dumped at my place (unsplit logs, especially if they come in 3 Ft sections instead of 16 inch lengths) - even if you can only turn three or four bowls out of all that wood, if you can sell 2 bowls at 30 bucks a pop, pretty much paid for the load of wood...

Great advice thanks man!