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English Yew Root
"Puka" Series

This is number 10 of an interesting series of pieces created from salvaged material and given a second life.  Harvested from within our local neighborhood in Bethel Park, PA,  and fished out of the trash bin and giving it a new life is more enjoyment than one can appreciate. As I come across this type of material sometimes through collectors, and friends of my work it requires a lot of preparation clean-up and in doing so I’m trying to remove as much debris as possible, then a sharp artistic mind is needed to see if there is anything useable within the root ball. At this point if it is deemed usable it gets mounted on one of my lathes where the actual creation process starts. When I do come across a usable piece and bring it to fruition, I’m truly amazed at the end results.  As with all turnings of this type the inside of the vessel is dyed black, so that the viewer focuses on the exterior and the unusual colorations and grain patterns of this chatoyant wood that are brought to light by the turning process. Finished dimensions for this vessel is 10 inches tall as it sits on its separate turned stand x 7 inches diameter, finished with roughly 10 coats of Tung Oil and final steps include a three part buffing system.
 
This unique piece, so apply named  "Puka" Series - Puka [poo' kah], loosely translated from the Hawaiian language, means "holes" or "perforations" - this piece, is truthfully an unusual, distinctive, and once-in-a-lifetime creation.

[ Note: "chatoyant" means: "having a changeable luster, or color, like that of a changeable silk, or of a cat's eye in the dark" ]