New Wood Turnings

Here are a few new projects completed on my wood lathe. Primarily concentrated on spindle turning, or turning between centers. As a beginner, this seems a safer, easier way to get the feel for the various turning tools.
These two are basically pieces of art work, meaning I created them for the thrill of doing so, and solely to enjoy. They were fun to create, and I love the feel and color of the wood itself. I saw a picture in Richard Raffan's Turning Wood book, of three turnings inspired by Irish and Middle Eastern Towers. These were inspired by that photo. They were created from a seasoned limb from a Black Walnut tree in our yard. The branch hung over our roof, and had to go.....straight to my garage! Now it sits in my living room!

Here is another shot of two small pieces turned from a burled oak from my backyard:

I thought they might make pretty neat Christmas ornaments. I will say, if you can get your hands on burled and weathered wood, you'll be amazed at the colors, grain and overall look. I'm attracted to the more gnarled pieces and enjoy creating unique pieces.