Lovely New Shiny

Friday, February 22, 2008


This is my FABULOUS new hand-made bowl, which arrived in yesterday's post. It's made of spalted maple, and I LOVE IT.

Those of you who also frequent Stonekettle Station might think that Jim made this lovely piece of art. Well, you'd be wrong. Jim's too busy whining about how humid it is and how much he's sacrificing for his art to actually get anything in the mail.

Okay, not really. I'm just being a whiney bint - I already have a Jim Wright original. I just want another one, because I'm a greedy, greedy materialist with no concept of sharing.

This piece was turned by our very own Beastly, who I'm delighted to report is much more conscientious about his art than he is about his blog.

I think he has other pieces for sale and he's using the proceeds for a very good cause - he's saving for enough gas to get him from New York to Alaska this summer.

Come on, Hot Chicks and Smart Men. Pony up for art. Pony up for friendship. Just pony up. 'Cause you know you want one.

19 comments:

Shawn Powers said...

I am patiently waiting for Jim's update, partially because I have no idea what the price range for such things might be. Absolutely no idea.

A Happy Meal?
A Benjamin?
A Second Mortgage?

I just don't have the slightest clue. So I've been quietly waiting to see, so I can react in a way that makes me look less clueless.

*DOH*

Janiece said...

Shawn, I can't speak to their price ranges, because this piece is the only one I've actually purchased.

Perhaps Beastly or Jim will stop by and give us a range?

Jim Wright said...

Yeah, that's nice. I suppose. For spalted maple. Whatever.

Heh, I'm kidding of course. Beastly is a terrific wood turner and he has access to some fantastic exotic woods, such as that spalted maple piece. And hopefully, should all go as planned and gas prices don't climb much higher, he'll be spending the summer in my shop again. I'm looking forward to it, he's one of my oldest and best friends and we always have a fantastic time when we're together.

Price wise, it varies. I can't speak for Beastly, but my stuff can be fairly inexpensive $40 or so for small pieces, and very expensive for large, hand carved pieces, $300 or more. We both base our prices on a number of factors - cost of materials (the wood Beastly works in can be very expensive and he has to purchase it), I harvest my birch, and while it doesn't cost me actual money, the process is labor intensive and time consuming. And mostly the price is based on size and amount of work involved. My bowls are sculpted after turning and can take 100-150 man hours to complete.

So, prices, anywhere between $40-$300 plus S&H. Should be something in everybody's price range :)

Janiece said...

Plus they're purty.

Tom said...

You know why they call them "wood turners?"

Cause they turn wood into art!

Candy dish, salad bowl, centerpiece. Support your local wood turner. Or, ya know, the one that's way the hell far away.

Wood is good.

Cindi in CO said...

Hee.

Tom said "Wood is good."

Yes, I'm twelve.

Jim Wright said...

Cindi, we're all twelve at heart.

Wood is Good! yeah, I'll be saying that for the rest of the day

Janiece said...

I think "Wood is Good" should be Jim's Mobster Name over at Polybloggimous.

Nathan said...

I think the way we're all linking each other, somebody forgot that Hijack™ Day is over and done with.

:-)

Anonymous said...

Ooh, that's some pretty wood there. I'm coming down with a severe case of the envies.

Unknown said...

Purchase a bowl, I would like.

Write Jim, I must.


Misplaced my brain, I have.

(Where on your blog, Jim, do you have ordering info?)

Janiece said...

No brain misplacement, Kate - he hasn't posted it yet, because he keeps getting distracted with piddlin' things like Firefly and the weather.

We're still waiting.

::tap, tap, tap::

Beastly said...

Janiece;
Thanks for the plug and the posting. It was fun to do and I am glad you enjoy it so much. As for the rest of you (and this is the part where I jump Jim's train) I have a box or two of bowls just collecting dust next to the bottle stoppers and lided boxes and vases and yes I am a slacker for not photgraphing and blogging about em. I will update the blog tomorrow with photos and contact info.

Janiece said...

You're welcome, Shawn. Anything for a fellow SCPO.

I forgot to ask - is this food-safe?

Shawn Powers said...

Janiece: Don't eat the bowl. Food-safe or not.

;o)


tee hee!

Janiece said...

Shawn P., I shall starve first.

Nobody's messing with my bowl.

Beastly said...

Janiece
Unfortunately no it is not food safe. The spalting is actually mold that grows on the grain of the wood and has to be sealed in with polyacrylic/polyeurathane. It is not going to fill your house with mold spores but I would not put my cheerios in it either.
It can make a nice vessel for a center piece or something like that but uh not good for salads.

That type of wood should never be sealed with food safe products like salad bowl oil or the like. I have to use a respirator while turning it and especially while sanding it. It's safe now though with 6 coats of ARM-R-SEAL on it.

Janiece said...

Gotcha. No mold in the Cheerio's. Good safety tip.

Thanks!

Anne C. said...

Oooh, thanks for the picture and the hints to buy from Beastly too, Janiece. I'd love to contribute to his Visit Jim Fund. :)