My old fishing cottage is now surrounded by the waterfront McMansions of
the nouveau riche so my address is included for all the freebee slick
enamelled high fashion and upscale architecture and interior decorator
magazines from Palm Beach & environs.

Like any law abiding woodturner, I only look at the furnishings,
particularly the decorative art; vases, bowls, lamps etc. Anyway, the
anatomy of the cadaverous models not to mention their ridiculous
clothes, ghastly cosmetics and strange posture does nothing for me and I
couldn't afford to heat or cool such huge houses.

Although most of this high end shelf and table art is ceramic, for the
most part it could easily be spindle turned in wood. Whether thin walled
or hollowed doesn't seem to matter, since the only time I've seen one
looked at, picked up or held was for dusting by the maid. She didn't
seem to care much either. I did see someone looking at a fancy lamp
once. Probably looking for the switch.

These decorative pieces are amazingly expensive and I'm sure they
weren't born in a golden rectangle or grew up obeying the rule of
thirds. They _are different from the work you and I make as seen in pic
forums, show & tells and craft fairs.

I wonder if turners living near silk stocking areas wouldn't do better
by making friends and dealing with interior decorators instead of
galleries and gift shops.

Art or not, it might be more lucrative to copy these upscale ceramic
forms than to follow the rules for turned wood design. Don't repeat what
is already being done. Seems like breaking rules gets you further along
these days. Unusual external form and finish is the order of the day.
Like the shapeless form, sunken eyes and outlandish 'haute couture' (I
looked it up) of the models, high end 'table art' isn't what most of us
usually turn, but it might sell at a much higher price.

Goodby thin walls and hollow forms. hello grotesque shapes and garish
colors, so long Jaques C. Pennae' and Targette', hi there Chi Chi and
the girls; make friends with a decorator and sharpen your spindle
gouges, skews and prices guys. It's time for the average woodturner's
work to invade the mansions of the rich and famous. Their trophy wives
won't know the difference or care.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Having been in the construction business for 30 plus years, I did way
too many houses for people who had more dollars than sence. What can
you say about people who build 10,000 sq ft houses for themselves, they
don't entertain, and don't have kids who will visit? They can be good
customers (just go ahead and bill me for it), or they can be the
biggest pain in the butts. It takes all kinds.
robo hippy
Arch wrote:
My old fishing cottage is now surrounded by the waterfront McMansions of
the nouveau riche so my address is included for all the freebee slick
enamelled high fashion and upscale architecture and interior decorator
magazines from Palm Beach & environs.

Like any law abiding woodturner, I only look at the furnishings,
particularly the decorative art; vases, bowls, lamps etc. Anyway, the
anatomy of the cadaverous models not to mention their ridiculous
clothes, ghastly cosmetics and strange posture does nothing for me and I
couldn't afford to heat or cool such huge houses.

Although most of this high end shelf and table art is ceramic, for the
most part it could easily be spindle turned in wood. Whether thin walled
or hollowed doesn't seem to matter, since the only time I've seen one
looked at, picked up or held was for dusting by the maid. She didn't
seem to care much either. I did see someone looking at a fancy lamp
once. Probably looking for the switch.

These decorative pieces are amazingly expensive and I'm sure they
weren't born in a golden rectangle or grew up obeying the rule of
thirds. They _are different from the work you and I make as seen in pic
forums, show & tells and craft fairs.

I wonder if turners living near silk stocking areas wouldn't do better
by making friends and dealing with interior decorators instead of
galleries and gift shops.

Art or not, it might be more lucrative to copy these upscale ceramic
forms than to follow the rules for turned wood design. Don't repeat what
is already being done. Seems like breaking rules gets you further along
these days. Unusual external form and finish is the order of the day.
Like the shapeless form, sunken eyes and outlandish 'haute couture' (I
looked it up) of the models, high end 'table art' isn't what most of us
usually turn, but it might sell at a much higher price.

Goodby thin walls and hollow forms. hello grotesque shapes and garish
colors, so long Jaques C. Pennae' and Targette', hi there Chi Chi and
the girls; make friends with a decorator and sharpen your spindle
gouges, skews and prices guys. It's time for the average woodturner's
work to invade the mansions of the rich and famous. Their trophy wives
won't know the difference or care.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

"robo hippy" wrote:

I wonder if turners living near silk stocking areas wouldn't do better
by making friends and dealing with interior decorators instead of
galleries and gift shops.

This is a valuable piece of advice for anyone doing any sort of 'craft', be
it turning, furniture, pottery, painting, photography, or what have you. If
someone can afford to hire an interior decorator, they can afford your
stuff. There's a Murphy Law "If you find a gold mine, work the hell out of
it" and decorators Know how to find gold mines. Get on the right side of a
few decorators and you'd never have to leave the shop except for the
Artiste' appearnces at the cocktail parties - jeans and a tweed Sport Coat,
blue chambray shirt, deck shoes and no socks.

Arch,
Saturday we shopped a Mikasa outlet and particularly noticed the styling of
some of the pieces. As you note we considered how often they could be done
on the lathe. Carving seems to be mandatory as well.

TomNie

Art or not, it might be more lucrative to copy these upscale ceramic
forms than to follow the rules for turned wood design. Don't repeat what
is already being done.

I have done work for interior decorators before. A couple of tables with a
fluted column, which were to be 'faux' finished to look like marble. Also,
have done some work for one of the Aerospace companies--they wanted a mock
up of a fuel tank for a satellite. 25" in diameter sphere, with a 3" flat
section in the middle. Making it 28" overall. That one I turned out of
MDF, cutting rings and doweling them together into two hemispheres. Then I
mounted the hemispheres to a large faceplate with a doubled 3/4" plywood
disc. Then glued the two pieces together. Even tho I cut the rings 2" wide
only, the sucker turned out to be so heavy it was hard to pick up and carry!
No handles!

Incidentally, they had 24" capacity cnc lathes, but it had to be 1" bigger.
That's ok by me, I got $550 for it, but had to buy the MDF.

Moral: Take any work you can get. You get paid and your skills improve.

Regards,
James Johnson