Dan Gray
Covington, GA
Olive the pieces. When his brother gifted him an olive log, Gray milled it and combined it with cocobolo to create a 216-piece segmented blank. Then he turned this 16-inch tall, 10-inch wide vase “just for the enjoyment of doing so.” Gray says he’s been turning for 20 years and has displayed his award-winning work in galleries throughout the country. We think you’ll agree that Gray’s segmented vessel came together nicely and turned out even better.
Larry Hincker
Blacksburg, VA
From reassembly to redesign. Only after agreeing to help his brother “reassemble” a dining table did this Virginia woodworker discover the pieces had only been rough cut by a friend three decades before. Then they’d moved around the country, been through a flood, and become dog chew toys. Plus, dear brother had no plans or idea how they were meant to be assembled. Hincker swapped cherry bar-height legs, then replaced the tile-inlay top with patterns of pau rosa, poplar, and cherry.
Gregory Jan Bande
Ashtabula, OH
Turtle-y awesome! Bande carved this pond turtle as part of a series of critter carvings crafted from discards or firewood. His numbered series dates back to 1980 and includes whales, owls, frogs, and more. This turtle, inspired by baby turtles in his farm’s pond, is crafted out of walnut and finished with varnish. On the back of each carving, Bande includes a sequence number and date, plus a deep thought.
Mike McKinney
Maggie Valley, NC
Burl bowl. A fourth generation woodworker, McKinney says he enjoys turning projects that take advantage of the natural beauty of wood. This one-piece bowl-and-tray is turned from cherry burl. The natural-edge piece is meant as a showpiece, though McKinney admits it could be used as a serving dish. The piece, finished with lacquer after turning, measures 9 × 7 × 3 1⁄2”.