Town Mill, Lyme Regis

I spent the weekend demonstrating in the courtyard of Town Mill in Lyme Regis. Lots of people came over and were interested to see how I make and decorate my bowls. Obviously it was entirely weather dependent! I will be there again during the August bank holiday weekend, hopefully it wont rain!

Thanks to Bernie for the photos!

I have been experimenting further with the reactive metallic paint. More ideas using the copper and bronze paint plus my first use of the iron paint. The method of using this one is different to the other two but I am pleased with the result so far.

A development of the inspiration from Marcel van Berkel with tarnished bronze finish

Also inspired by Marcel van Berkel with tarnished copper finish

"Rusty corrugated iron"

"Tarnished copper pipe"

Tarnished bronze

May Day bank holiday...

My first fair of the year was on Bank Holiday Monday in a marquee outside the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis. Just over the sea wall and ideally situated to entice all the bank holiday visitors and locals who enjoy walking along the now extended sea front path......  Unfortunately the weather had other ideas...

It was freezing cold (two duvet coats!), raining and blowing a hoolie! Hats off (literally!) to everyone who braved the elements and did the walk anyway, visiting us on route.

The next fair is this weekend at the Town Mill in Lyme Regis. The forecast is much more favourable and might even be quite warm! Hopefully we will be really busy!

I was lucky to have two tables to spread out on!

My new style vases proved very popular

Some rustic fruit bowls - textured and scorched

Food serving bowls and fruit bowls. Lovely Ash!

Yandles show

I was one of the demonstrators at my club's stand, Martock and District Woodturners, at Yandles show in April. Here is a short clip showing me hollowing a vase.

More metallic effects

I've finally got hold of the Modern Masters reactive metallic paints. Here are the first vases I have made using this effect.
I've also refined the form slightly, with a wider opening and the base curve starting from further up the vessel.

Bronze reactive metallic paint with blue oxidation.

This is the other side of the same vase. I swirled the bronze paint when I applied the second coat then sprayed the oxidation liquid on top to create an effect of random tarnishing.

Copper reactive metallic paint with green oxidation effect.

The other side of the same vase. Like the previous vase, the oxidation liquid was sprayed on randomly to create the effect of natural tarnishing.

Today's student - Karen

Karen is a friend and ex-colleague who came over for the day to turn a bowl. Unsurprisingly, Karen took to it like a duck to water and made a great ash bowl!

Turning the inside.

Showing good tool control!

The inside completed. It feels lovely and smooth! It is finished with sanding sealer and microcrystalline wax which shows up the fantastic grain.

From this piece of wood came a lovely bowl!

Experimenting with hollowed vases

In the last few weeks I have been experimenting with the form and colouring effects. These vases have rounded bases and have been finished with metallic bronze paint and verdigris wax to try and give a weathered effect.

Slightly scorched to open the grain but the pith on the base scorched too much leaving a hole.

Brushed to open the grain. This wasn't very effective. Black ebonising lacquer was used before the bronze paint, having the effect of filling the grain again! When the excess verdigris wax was removed, most of it just rubbed off leaving a shiny finish. However, it does sit at an interesting angle!

Brushed aggressively to open the grain. Black acrylic wood dye then bronze paint. The verdigris wax stayed in the grain more effectively but (not shown here) when the excess was rubbed off, "rub lines" appeared towards the top of the vase. That would have worked if they were random but unfortunately formed a regular pattern round the vase. The base is nicely rounded. The foot was removed and the base rounded by holding the top of the vase on gripper jaws in expansion mode, protected with self adhesive neoprene.