Field maple bowl.....

[ChrisF]

This was very well seasoned wood given to me by some friends.  It turned easy enough but finishing without sanding marks was another matter....c&c most welcome...

[seventhdevil]

nice looking shape and i like the foot.

not sure about it being field maple though as the growth rings look too far apart. how big is the bowl?

most of the field maple i've seen has 10 rings+ per inch.

[Les Symonds]

Hi Chris....I spotted this last night, but wanted to re-visit it before I commented. This morning, I feel the same way as I did last night about the foot. It doesn't work for me. I find that the curve of the bowl as a whole is too suddenly changed from convex to concave, which spoils the flow of the line. It'll be interesting to see what others make of it.
Les

[ChrisF]

Steve, thanks, glad you like it.  Size is 145mm diameter x 90mm high.  Open to suggestions if not field maple.....

Les, knew it wouldn't be for everybody....to be honest I do sometimes look at it and find it to be too 'tall', but then at other times, mainly from further away (though still the same room  ) I really like the way the base & foot raise it, making it appear lighter.

[Graham]

I quite like the shape but can see what Les means about the foot.

[Mark Sanger]

A beautiful bowl, I like the change in curve, it is different to what I am use to and have looked several times before commenting, we all like different things, perhaps the base could be a little wider to make it look more stable, again just a thought. It is a beautifully finished and shaped bowl thank you for sharing.

[bodrighywood]

Definitely unusual, almost looks as though it is on a point at the base. The fact that the curves all blend into one another so well makes it work for me. Not perhaps 'traditional' but that just makes it more interesting at least to me.

pete

[Andy Coates]

It certainly looks to be a Acer of some sort from the grain fleck on the rim of pic 2.

I like the shape. It's a decorative, rather than utility shape, but that doesn't make it wrong. You could almost describe it as a "gallery" shape. At least it doesn't look like a dog bowl. There are enough of those about.

Congratulations on achieving something that stands out from the crowd.

[ChrisF]

Thanks folks, really appreciate the feedback, it's encouraging to know I'm heading in the right direction...well, A right direction anyway 

The couple that donated it are pretty confident it is field maple......here's a pic of another lump with the bark still on if it helps...

[georg]

  This Piece has grown on us the more we have looked at it.... different from the norm .... a well turned and
  finished bowl.
   Regards Tony & di

[Bryan Milham]

Chris,

It looks enough like the Field Maple I've turned for me to agree that's what it is.

Like everyone else, I've looked several times at the shape of the foot and come to my own conclusion, I've seen similar on the bottom of some really nice ceramic art bowls, art because they are basically unusable due to the small foot.

As we share a lot with the makers of ceramics and glass (but I do wish we could squish our wood the way they can their mediums), I see it as a wooden interpretation of these and like it.

Great finish as well.

[seventhdevil]

i have to agree that the bark does look very like a field maple.

the density should be a give away as it's the same as canadian hard maple.

[ChrisF]

Thanks Tony & Di, glad it grew in the right direction 

Bryan, thanks, you could be on to something there.  I know several ceramicists and spend a lot of time admiring their work and talking about shape and design with them.  Wouldn't be surprising if it were to influence my own attempts.

[woodndesign]

One really nice flowing forms, the picture sets it off just right, makes the piece stand out.  Excellent finish.

Cheers  David