Got Fungi...

[arcos]

I had some fun turning a few mushrooms and showed them to some friend who asked if I could produce a table center group of three...

I had a play around with a few ideas and came up with this. It is a 'prototype' piece and certainly not the finished article.

The cap is a scabby piece of peach that was turned and then drilled. The stalks are acacia twigs that I have scraped to remove the bark. These were then glued into the drilled caps and then placed into pre drilled holes in split acacia log.

I quite like the idea although the caps need some more work to achieve a more acceptable shape/finish.

The solitary mushroom is again taken from a suggestion to make a larger item (this stands about 10" high) with a 'natural base'. Not happy with the stem shape on this but again a prototype piece.

C&C as always please.

[Bryan Milham]

Scabby peach it may be but they do look like fungi caps past their best.

Ideas,

make the stems a little shorter but keep them with a slight twist or bow for a natural look,

also see if you can find some wood with deep cracks in the bark (Walnut can be good) to 'grow' the stems out of, it looks more natural

[arcos]

Thanks dr4g0nfly...

Yes I have to agree that they are certainly "past their best"! And one of them has now developed a nice crack making them look even more 'natural'!

Thanks for ideas/suggestions I will be working on Mk II later today and will go and look for some old, cracked wood for the base.

[Les Symonds]

I agree wholeheartedly with Bryan (dr4g0nfly) about the natural look....great idea to use twigs for their stalks. I often see mushrooms in craft fairs and they do tend to look too artificial and too perfect, but these have a strong, natural look to them. as Bryan suggests, get a more natural look for the base and you'll be onto a real winner.
Les

[woodndesign]

A 'prototype' piece ...     ..  Bl&&xy GOOD ..  .. "past their best .. just stunning .. Soooo natural looking ...  I'm  ..

I'd go with the past comments on the stems and base .. but keep the caps as they are it's the making of the piece .. another step colour caps maybe ..

Cheers for these.

David