Well, here are some new ones for 1998. On the trip Clem and I made to Ottawa, we found a maple log that had been lying in a woodlot for about 20 years and was nicely spalted, although very badly split. But, I found a couple of pieces in it. This vase on the left is about 1/8 inch thick, stands 9" high and about 4" in diameter. It's finished with two rubbed out coats of water-based varathane and then waxed. It now graces a table somewhere in Petrozovodsk, Russia The urn on the right, from the same spalted maple, is finished with two coats of Danish oil and waxed. It's a bit thicker, about 3/8". It stands almost 12" tall and is 5" in diameter. The top of the urn is of walnut. A friend of mine bought it for his wife. I've been criticized for using water based varathane, but I like it because it changes the color of the wood very little. Compare the vase and the urn, both cut from the same log, and see how much darker the urn became with the oil finish. The bottom two pictures are of a bowl, 10" in diameter and 5" high, cut from the same spalted maple log. It's also finished with water-based varathane and waxed.

This is a large birch burl bowl, about 14" across and 8" deep. The only finish on this bowl is a coat of wax. I left the walls quite thick, and I've threatened to re-mount the bowl and turn it thin. However, Karen tells me not to do that 'cause she likes it the way it is. This is a rare piece of wood to find in Manitoba, and I'd love to find a few more burls like it.

A burl often keeps you guessing about what lies within it, and this one was no exception. The only thing to do was to leave the edge natural, and hope it would hold together on the lathe. It is very fragile; about 1/8" at the lip and going to about 1/4" at the bottom. The picture doesn't do this bowl justice. It's prettier than it shows here and I'll have to try to take a better picture of it. It's finished with tung oil and waxed.

These candlesticks of maple and walnut are some of my earliest work. I've made quite a few of these, and people seem to like them.

This is one of a series of little bud vases I've made. This one is of box elder, more commonly known as Manitoba maple. I found the giant burl this came from on a drive through the neighborhood. Someone had cut the tree down and left about 2 feet of it sticking out of the ground. I got an 18" slab about 4 feet across from it. This gorgeous wood has fiery red streaks in it and turns beautifully.

This is another bud vase of Manitoba maple that is now owned by my sister-in-law. This is probably the best example of the fiery reds and beautiful grain found in this wood. All of the pieces made of Manitoba maple only have wax on them.

Another Manitoba Maple bud vase, except this one hangs on the wall. It often occupies the space behind my desk in my office. People think it's funny when I run down to the flower shop to pick up a big, bright flower and some greenery every few days just to put in this vase.

This is a maple bowl I turned green and then "PEGged" (polyethylene glycol). This is the first piece I ever used PEG on, and I was very pleased with the results. No movement or cracking in the wood at all. This 12" by 6" bowl is finished with one coat of tung oil and wax.

Another bud vase, with views from both sides. This piece of elm was dragged from the fireplace at the last minute, as a lot of my pieces seem to be. I love the colors and the grain in this simple piece of wood. It is oiled and waxed.