Turning of the Week for March 16, 2026

[Bill Boehme]

It was love at first sight. The moment I saw Black Locust Basket Illusion Series #4 by Tim Connell, I knew it was my selection for Turning of the Week for March 16, 2026. I am a huge fan of realistic coiled basket illusion turnings, especially if great attention is paid to detail … and this basket illusion is one of the best I’ve ever seen. The beading, burning, design, and inking are all top notch. Congratulations, Tim, on a job very well done.

 

[David Wyke]

Excellent choice Bill!!!! This is a beautiful piece Tim!

 

[Ted Pelfrey]

Excellent choice Bill!!!! This is a beautiful piece Tim!

I agree with David! Beautiful!

 

[Bob Franklin]

Great choice for sure. I love this one!

 

[Tim George]

It’s beautiful. Hope you are featured in future articles on how to create similar pieces.

 

[Jon]

I have seen a lot of basket illusions, but I had never seen this technique before. That is stunning, and easy to tell a tremendous amount of time and craftsmanship went into that. Very nice piece! Congratulations Tim.

 

[Tim Connell]

It was love at first sight. The moment I saw Black Locust Basket Illusion Series #4 by Tim Connell, I knew it was my selection for Turning of the Week for March 16, 2026. I am a huge fan of realistic coiled basket illusion turnings, especially if great attention is paid to detail … and this basket illusion is one of the best I’ve ever seen. The beading, burning, design, and inking are all top notch. Congratulations, Tim, on a job very well done.

Thank you Bill, I am humbled with the honor and your kind words.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

His work is stunning—time and again.

 

[Mark Fairchild]

congratulations Tim. Well deserved. One of the best Basket Illusions I’ve seen.

 

[Marie Anderson]

Wow! That's an outstanding piece! Great Choice! Well deserved honor!

 

[Tim Connell]

Now that I have a little more time, I wanted to comment a little more on Basket Illusions.

Life really does come full circle some times. The first basket illusion piece I ever saw was one of @Bill Boehme that was posted here. I just stared at it for a long time and the desire to try these types of projects started running deep. I searched for and found pieces by other people here, and elsewhere. Bill, Curt Fuller, Jean-Louis Meynier, Steve Mawson and of course Jim Adkins (and others) all make/have made extraordinary Basket Illusions that are worth of study.

What really stuck with me though was a comment that Bill made about 'burning lines, not sending smoke signals'.

So, thank you Bill, for the honor and for the inspiration.

 

[Charles Kuether]

Tim: Your work is truly worthy of the recognition. The design is striking.
I have a question - How is the inside done/finished? i.e. is it smooth or does it carry the Basket illusion pattern?

 

[Tim Connell]

Thank you Charles.

The inside of these small forms is smooth. Although I haven't made any, when a larger Basket Illusion closed form, such as the degikup is done, typically the form is done in two halves so the inside is accessible to beading/embellishing, they are then glued back together and the outside is completed.