ugly duckling

[smiife]

hi guys,
i think i need help with this bowl,or it heading for the
firewood pile:o,not happy with this it just looks plain ugly:doh:
any ideas would be appreciated .thanks,. any help would be good
it even still had a termite still in it while turning:o middle photo!!!!!!!!!!!!
cheers smiife:2tsup:

[wheelinround]

WOW for starters that top looks brilliant with the main body what is the top??

Termite spray the little critter stick the whole thing in a plastic bag and empty a can of surface spray and seal the bag for a few days.

if you want to fill holes and cracks I reckon coffee grounds mixed with epoxy will look good :2tsup:

[dr4g0nfly]

How would I improve this? I ask why?

Sometimes we need to step outside of the accepted forms and shapes, to create a piece that challenges our views on what is right by being just ever-so slightly different. You've achieved that in this piece. It's got a good form and a fine finish. So it sits a little 'uncomfortably' in the eye, 'so... !'

(I'm only just coming to understand this myself, so excuse me while the words don't quite flow.)

But if I was to be overly critical and I don't think it need a lot. It does depend upon how much wood you've still got inside to play with and if you can still re-mount it.

First the max diameter is in the centre of the bowl body, can you increase the taper below the centreline to a slightly smaller foot? It will lighten the piece and give it 'lift'.

Secondly (and harder), you've sloped the bowl top into the rim, for the different colour and beads an definite break in the line (an angle) would have helped to define the two parts. Where they 'blend' does not quite work.

[smiife]

hi guys,
wheeling,
the top is all part of the bowl,just put a few beads in there
and sprayed it black,if you enlarge the first photo you can
see the cracks go through the top and the bowl itself!!!!!!
dragonfly,
i did expect a few ideas,i did not expect anyone to like it,:no:
or at least not crisis it in some way,thanks for your thoughts
much appreciated.
come on guys i thought someone would have a good idea
on how to improve this one!!!!!!!!!1
cheers smiife:2tsup:

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I think dr4g0nfly has called it spot on.

There's nothing wrong with that bowl except that the shape needs a bit of refining. His suggestions would definitely make a difference to the overall 'feel,' even though they may not sound like much.

[Skew's_Girl]

Well, i guess the first and foremost of it is, what don't you like about it?
You say it's ugly but what about it, the proportions, the colour, the footing...?

Do you like pieces that look light, that look harmonious without any particular aspect sticking out? Accent touches that compliment?
What were you thinking of when you started.

I've noticed everyone here is great at directing you in a directon you want to go, but tend not to tell others what to do.

[artme]

Ugly duckling or beautiful swan??Depends on your point of view!!

Can't say I Would do much, if anything to it The top lookd great,
the shape is pleasing enough to my eyes and everything else is
a natural feature. :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[Paul39]

I rather like the side view of it. Put it on a shelf and look at it for a few months. Sometimes we come to like a piece as is, sometimes we change it if there is enough timber.

If I were to change it, I would remove the dark top. I think it makes it top heavy.

[Rod Gilbert]

I totally agree with Dr4g0nfly sometimes you only need to change the shape by a very small amount to completely change the appearance and definitely a sharper contrast from bowl to bead and the shape to the foot would make a big difference to this I feel.
Regards Rod.

[tea lady]

:pi: Don't look ugly to me either. ::cool: I guess like Skew's Girl said, it depends on what you were thinking in the first place. :shrug: Seen heaps more uglier things on here. (One thing is maybe the foot is a bit weird. What is happening there? It the square bit just a plinth? The round bit doesn't seem part of the form either. :pi: The round body form probably just needs a subtle flat on the base, :shrug:)

[orraloon]

You just got to say that is the look I was aiming for. I quite like it. Sometimes the cracks and other faults add to the look.
Regards
John

[smiife]

hi guys,
orraloon,
yeah i don't mind the faults/cracks,i just think it could be improved
in some way!!!!!!!!! it isn't what i was ''looking for''.
T.L.
i think you are right,the foot was a bit odd too!so i made a ''cap''
to fit over the original one,it's got to go! yeah the square plinth
was just for the photo.
rod,
i think changing the foot a little might look better.
paul39,
off with his head:o,yeah that might help too!!
thanks to everyone for your comments
cheers smiife:2tsup:

[robo hippy]

Termites go well with CA glue (super glue or what ever you call it there). It locks them in place and is 100% lethal.

As for ugly, well, the first time I put an ogee shape on the outside of a bowl, I looked at it when done, and thought it would never sell because it was so ugly. Well, at the first show I went to, a regular customer who had a kitchen gallery in Los Angeles, came in and it was the first one he put into his box. Looks fine to me, but then again, I am fashionable unconscious.

robo hippy