by Rob » 29 May 2015, 11:19
don't worry about that Andy...you're doing great, really good. Your finishing is very advanced for your time served and the shapes will come in time, its a perfectly natural progression. That's a lovely bit of figure you have in the bowl too. Keep sticking 'em on the chuck mate and the tool control will come and once that's where you want it, start spending more time studying form and the more pleasing aesthetics will leap out at you. But it's very like driving, you have learn to steer, pedals and gear stick before you can sing along to the radio while eating sandwiches! So it is with turning, practice is key.
If I were at club night and judging your bowl for real I would say the following:
1/ Excellent finish, little evidence of tool marks and a great lustre
2/ Pretty good final wall thickness, you haven't wimped out of going close to the edge which is a common mistake leaving bowls with a half inch thick wall
3/ Great choice of wood
4/Little more attention needed on the external shape....try to keep in mind the notion of the "fair curve"
5/ The base of the bowl. The ideal is for the bowl to gently taper into the table leaving a shadow line. Your flat bottom leaves an abrupt "shock" in the transition from bowl to table. Maybe experiment with a curve from a third way down the wall all the way to the centre of the base to achieve that more elegant transition.
6/ Ruddy good effort though and one I would happily display as another step on the journey.
Keep 'em coming mate, its lovely to see :-)