For information and pricing on these or similar pieces that are not displayed, my E-mail address is, grusserry@aol.com
A "Flight of Fancy"
A lidded box
The "space ship" is purposly canted on the base to keep it from having a symmetrical appearance.
It is 13" diameter and 13" tall. The woods that are user are, bottom to top: Russian Olive, Spalted Hackberry, Black Cherry, and Black Walnut.
"Birds Of A Feather...."
This is one of a series of "birds" that are turned and carved from domestic hardwoods, and then positioned on a base to give the illusion of hovering flight.
This "bird" is 6" diameter, and is made from fruit tree Apple wood.
Some of these Hollow Forms are turned and hollowed from freshly cut green wood. They are then allowed to dry, shrinking and warping into whatever shape the wood wants to assume. This one is 8" diameter. It is made from Box Elder, and it exhibits some of the red coloring that is unique to this species.
The "Thunderbird"
This series of turned wood is influenced by the form of the Classical Urn, and the art of the Native Americans of the Southwest. This Urn is 15" diameter and 18" tall.
Often referred to as "Segmented designs", these artistic forms are assembled from small pieces of wood that are precisely fitted together with strong joints. This example is made from 984 pieces of wood in Honduras Mahogany, White Birch, and Walnut.
Of all the various forms and shapes of woodturning that I do, these fanciful designs are my favorites. They can be used for decoration, as a serving platter, as a charger under a setting of fine china, and they have been a popular addition to plate collections.
These platters and shallow bowls are 10" to 13" diameter, and assembled from Birch and Walnut. These species are selected for their color and similar mechanical properties that make for a more stable assembly.
An Apache Basket
These platters and shallow bowls are influenced by the shallow baskets of the Apache from the late 19th Century. The "Original" with this pattern is on display at Fort Apache, AZ .
The illusion of a basket is created by an assembly of small pieces of solid wood.
There is an old saying among woodturners that, "If it holds water, it's a bowl; if it doesn't, it is art." The natural voids and bark inclusions in this bowl from Oregon Myrtle definitely qualify it as "artistic". It is 12" diameter.
"An Artistic Bowl"
This one qualifies as "Artistic" because it is too light in weight to be useful. Made from Eastern Washington Orchard Cherry, this bowl is 10" diameter, has a 1/16" wall thickness, and it weighs less than 3-ounces.
"The Natural Edge" Bowl
They come is all sizes and shapes, but all share a common theme - the opening or rim is surrounded by the natural bark of the tree.
This example is a piece of highly figured Carolina Cherry Laurel burl. It is 12" diameter.
They are called "Hollow Forms" because they are made from solid wood, and the inside has been "hollowed" through a small opening in the top. They come in all sizes and shapes. This example is 8" diameter, and made from Fruitwood Cherry that was bleached until it was "white". The original Cherry coloring is visible on the inside of the rim.
"Weed Pots"
These little vessels differ from the Hollow Form in that they are not "hollow". Instead, there is a drilled hole in their center to hold dried flowers, grasses and other dried vegitation (weeds).
Weed Pots come in all sizes and shapes. These are all about 4" tall. They can be fitted with a glass vial insert so they can be used for a fresh flower as well as the "weeds".
