Description
A great deal of my inspiration comes from Mother Nature. These Poppy Seed Pods in vase come off the Wood Lathe. I fabricate them from Madrone wood from California. As this wood dries the cylindrical shape that comes off the lathe distorts. This is exactly the effect I was seeking. Not perfectly round, but asymmetrical. Then each pod goes through a series of processes at the studio bench involving carving, painting and assembly. These secondary processes will take more time than it does to produce the form.
Many years ago I took a furniture workshop. I would build complicated furniture for our apartments, but I was always frustrated with the final product. I spoke to the teacher about this dilemma of building things that looked second rate. He said the rule to making good looking pieces is to spend at least one half the time on finishing as it took to build it. That was a wake up moment.
These poppy seed pods in vase is Ash wood with a black stain. Ash has open wood pores so after I apply a white liming wax on top of the black dye an elegant pattern is visible. The white pigment fills the pores and creates an effect which highlights the age growth rings. The top of the vase features a exotic Purple Heart wooden ring to finish the top edge.
Another item that comes from Nature is this maple seed pod vase.
Gift Ideas
There are similar items in my Etsy Shop that you may want to investigate.
Studio
Everything that I create is from my studio in New Jersey, USA. My primary tool is the wood lathe thatI use to create the form. Once the shape is complete the item goes to the workbench for secondary operations to enhance the piece.