Bee Tea
Our guild president offered a challenge to turn a tea pot after Art Liestman did a demo on the pots made by woodturners. This is my effort. The body is birch burl, the spout and top/dipper are birch, the legs are yew and the wings/handle are ash. I apologize for the line in the pictures. My digital camera packed it in and these were the first pictures where it showed up. 🙁
Tea pots have become the standard used by woodturners to demonstrate their personal style. The tea pot is recognized and used universally, therefore making it the ideal, if not somewhat improbable, vehicle. Naturally they are not functional, but that is irrelivant. In my case, colour and figured wood play a dominant role in my work
Bee Tea and accessories
so it had to be “in your face and out there”. Aside from that I also wanted to showcase as much as I had learned from visiting demonstrators to encourage other turners to make the most of these wonderful opportunities. In this case I drew on the multi-centered style of Mark Sfirri for the legs and top (actually, a honey dipper disguised as a top), Dave Schweitzer’s teachings for the hollowform and Mike Hosaluk’s procedure of deconstructing and reconstructing turnings for the spout. Although not visible, an epoxy trick learned from Marilyn Campbell helped out on the very tight bend on the back end of the steam-bent handle/wings. I attempted to give the piece some “attitude” by leaning it forward and to one side, twisting the spout and kicking the stinger up at a jaunty angle. Trying to have as much going on a possible, I made a tea bag out of dyed birch shavings and cheesecloth, something I haven’t seen in a teapot yet.
Bee tea heading south
This project took about a month of on and off work and I enjoyed every minute of it. I think I had more fun doing this piece than anything else I have turned. I’ve had pleanty of ideas spin off from this so I doubt if this is the last.
As always, comments are encouraged and appreciated. Please see the tag line below to make a comment.
