AATURNING.COM

Handmade Ambrosia Platter Large Ambrosia Platter is handmade on a wood lathe. This is an ambrosia maple flat platter with gorgeous grain and incredible markings. The markings are from insect damage by the Ambrosia Beetle as he and his buddies infest the tree. As they eat through the tree fibers they leave behind these streaks. See the dots in the markings. These are the holes where the beetle enters and leaves the wood. They create their own art, but the tree will event

This Platter developed a boo-boo so I fixed it with leather stitches. Now this First Aid Stitches For Platter is an art piece. The story behind this piece is that I submitted it to a gallery. The director noticed that there was a hairline fracture. It did not go all the way through the wood, but the director said clients would resist purchasing it with the appearance of a crack. I took it home, drilled a few holes, added a few leather stitches and it has now found a happ

Grieving and Healing Platter is a commission for a family honoring the passing of their dad. A Cherry Tree grew at the dad’s grave site. The tree became very large and the cemetery decided the tree had to be removed. The son made a request to officials to allow him to have the logs from the tree. His desire was to make some meaningful family heirlooms from the wood. I got a phone call requesting that I make items for him, his mother, brother and sister. This will be a chall

Commission Art Genesis Wood Art Platter is a commission piece for a family honoring their departed father. The theme of this piece is the Story of Life. The wood is cherry from a tree growing at the gravesite of the father. The cemetery notified the family that the tree had to be removed as it was damaging nearby gravesites. The son spoke with management to allow him to secure large logs from the tree for family heirlooms. Genesis Wood Platter I received a phone call ask

Description Ambrosia Sunset Platter shows what happens when the Ambrosia Beetle attacks maple trees and leaves behind these incredible markings.  On this piece the Beetle shows great skill as a landscape painter. Ambrosia Sunset Platter is handmade on a wood lathe.  This is an ambrosia maple platter with gorgeous grain and incredible markings that appear to be a sunset over the ocean. The markings are from insect damage by the Ambrosia Beetle that infests the maple tree. As t

Manzanita Wooden Platter is 11 inch diameter by 1 1/2 inches thick. Wood doesn’t get much prettier than this. Manzanita wood is not easy to fabricate, but always delivers when complete.  The organic nature of Manzanita pieces are second to none.  Manzanita root burl is perhaps the most beautiful wood I work with. The Burl is very ugly in its raw form. I have a theory that the uglier the wood the more beautiful will be the interior grain resulting in a final piece with very in

Winter Branches Platter is an experiment to be able to make a wood platter and a wood block that will be able to produce a wood cut print.  Through out my college years, I am creating silk screen and wood cut prints. Now I see the possibility to create a utilitarian platter that also serves as the print block. Wood Cut Print To make a wood cut print the artist draws an image onto a flat piece of wood.  Now I carve away the space between the lines.  This leaves a recess in the

Sedona Sunset reminds me of my visits to Sedona.  Looking out to the hills and desert with their incredible colors and the texture of the desert.  This is the natural color of Manzanita wood.  See the similarities between the desert and Manzanita? Process Nothing beats the organic nature of the art pieces that I am able to produce with Manzanita Burl. The Manzanita burl is the most beautiful wood I work with. Each burl has its own unique character with variations in color. In

Description Shifting Sands Wood Platter is from an 800 pound maple burl that a fellow turner and I sourced on a llama farm of all places. When I began turning I would not go near a chain saw so my friend did most of the work that day.  Now I am processing my own wood from storm damaged trees. This burl contains the most unique patterns and inclusions I have ever seen. The patterns look like traces of prehistoric animal skeletons scattered and laying in sand dunes. What is a B

Hurricane Wood Hurricane Sandy Ambrosia Platter represents the destruction of this devastating storm in the region I live.  It did cure my addition to pick up logs on the road as I now have a lifetime of wood from neighbors and friends. This platter is a gift to a friend who lost her majestic maple.  The size is 15 inch diameter by 3 inches high.  All of my wooden items are signed on the bottom and they are also food safe. This Hurricane Sandy Ambrosia Platter is from the Map

Description Winged Victory Platter is a piece of Maple crouch.  The crouch is where branches radiate from the tree trunk.  These unique patterns sometimes appear as feather patterns.  The dark hardwood area reminds me of the headless Winged Victory statue in the Louvre though others may see the head of a deer. The size of this platter is 15 x 15 x 2.5 inches. The style of this platter is Natural Edge.  Notice that both sides maintain the bark edge.  Most often a bowl is made

Description This Topless Platter is a Cherry platter wood from Hurricane Sandy damage.   Notice the horizontal line dividing the center of the piece like a bathing suit line. Use your imagination for above the waist. This is where the tree truck is graft with a section from another tree creating the Weeping Cherry falling branches. It is fascinating how seamless the wood grows together just leaving a noticeable change in grain direction. The size is 14 x 13 x 2.5 inches. Tree

Square Platter with Trim is an early experiment in combining contrasting woods in a turning piece.  Starting with a square block of Cocobolo I laminate blond wood strips around the outside edges.  Once this assembly is complete I then shape the bowl form on a wood lathe. Wood Toxins There were two important lessons that I learned from making this Square Platter with Trim. The first is that there are wood species that are toxic to humans, animals and plants.  If you ever come

Caribbean Ocean Platter is a neat piece of maple burl with loads of character, but just a little too bland after finishing. I took a leap by applying blue dye to the Burl and it instantly became this stormy ocean. My wife grabbed it as hers and she does not claim many items. She says that I make too many round things. Go figure. The size is 8 Inch diameter by 1 inch high. It was by accident that I would learn that when Burl wood gets a dye finish incredible formations of colo

California Firewood This Burned Redwood Platter is wood from a California wildfire.  The missing chip at the top and the cracks at the base exhibit fire damage.  I am very happy with the result and the organic features that make up this wood platter.  Upon receiving this wood I had my doubts that this piece would amount to anything.  It sold very quickly in a NY Gallery to a California resident.  I could not be happier that it is back in the State of California where it belon

Description Cosmos Maple Burl Platter is an extraordinary example of Maple Burl. The platter is 12 inches in diameter by1.25 high.  Close up it displays images of the oceans and the solar system. Cosmos Maple Burl Platter is from a six hundred pound burl that a friend and I harvested on a farm in Western New Jersey.  When I took up turning I thought I only had to learn how to use a lathe.  I quickly learned that many more skill sets needed to be developed.  This includes meta