Motivation

Posted by Steven Kennard
A 'beaded' box made of African blackwood with a warm golden toned thuya burl interior is shown, with the lid propped against it facing the side It has smooth beading on the side of the lid and body and the top has a textured low dome, with a smooth edge. The sides of the top and the main body are finely textured.
‘Beaded Box’ open

This is the first box that I’ve turned in what seems like a really long time. It was an order from a collector in the US who asked me to make a box for him that got me to pick up my tools and get into the shop. I have been turning, just not creating. And for artists, the act of creation is vital as without it you find yourself losing motivation and joy in your work and your life as this is such an integral part of it. This is where I found myself. Circumstances have been so limiting lately for so many of us and mine have made it very difficult to devote the time and focus to see my way out of the emotional darkness that can overtake us all. I just wasn’t feeling it, which made it worse.

So, thanks to this email out of the blue from down South, I have found the desire to be once again making, with new ideas and the excitement to get back in my studio. This simple beaded box is African Blackwood, which you will know is my favourite for boxes, lined with a lovely warm golden Thuya burl and decorated with a surface embellishment of texturing and a subtle red tint on the textured areas.

This box is part of my Turned Art Gallery you can view here: https://stevenkennard.com/blog/skgallery/turned-art

A 'beaded' box made of African blackwood with a warm golden toned thuya burl interior is shown. It has smooth beading on the side of the lid and body and the top has a textured low dome, with a smooth edge. The sides of the top and the main body are finely textured.
‘Beaded Box’
A 'beaded' box made of African blackwood with a warm golden toned thuya burl interior is lying on its side, with the lid flat on the surface next to it. It has smooth beading on the side of the lid and body and the top has a textured low dome, with a smooth edge. The sides of the top and the main body are finely textured.
Beaded Box showing thuya burl interior

Wired Box

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This box is one I made a few years ago, seemingly quite different from my usual work, but in fact a natural deviation from some of the boxes such as Spiderman and even the Golfer's dream 2 which lies on its side.

The box itself contrasts African blackwood in polished rings with a finely textured cone section on each side. The ends and central ring are of a rich cocobolo, with one of the ends removable, revealing a hollow centre. The inside of this cocobolo removable 'top' is of mother of pearl.

The box is delicately balanced on two guitar wires which are taughtly strung between the plexiglas ends, suspended over a polished poplar burl base. The box can be moved freely along the wires.

"Wired" African Blackwood, Poplar Burl, and Cocobolo with mother of pearl, plexiglas and guitar strings Full information here: https://stevenkennard.com/blog/?product=wired
#craft #craftsmanship #woodturning #wood #boxes
#breakfastartclub +Breakfast Art Club by +Simply Arlie

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