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Unwasted treasure
So many of my turned pieces originated from found treasures in a waste pile from some sort of commercial logging or clearing project.
So it was with this piece of oak burl that I found at a road-clearing project on Little Pisgah Mountain, east of Asheville, NC. As is typical, the commercially valuable timber was hauled to a sawmill and the “waste” wood bulldozed together to be burned.
The shape of the “blank” and the character of the wood significantly dictated its final form. I burned nothing. The piece accomplished that dark-edged affect all on its own.
Raven’s Peace
Very personal note: For this burl turning, all the distressed features in the wood reminded me of an ancient Greco-Roman vessel and inspired the name, Pompeii. That was over a decade ago.
Today, Gaye and I are renaming Pompeii. From now on, it will be Raven’s Peace. And it will cradle the ashes of our beloved Portuguese Water Dog, Raven. A Spirit dear to our hearts, he will make us giggle and cry forever.
Run free, sweet Raven. And rest in Peace.
