# painted wood



## DKMD (Oct 16, 2012)

I had a little piece of pear that was, quite frankly, ugly… It was full of mineral staining and unattractive sapwood. I though it might be a good opportunity to experiment a bit with some black gesso that I picked up locally. Gesso is a sort of primer utilized by painters for canvas prep among other uses. 

This is about 8 inches tall with a coat of walnut oil so far. The gesso is a bit thick like paint, and I like the subtle texture that remains from the brush. This piece looks a bit like ceramic which I enjoy. I'm not usually a fan of painted wood, but this piece of wood had absolutely nothing going for it.

Comments, criticism, and suggestions always appreciated.
[attachment=12208][attachment=12209][attachment=12210]


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## Mike1950 (Oct 16, 2012)

Sorry- makes me think pottery barn . I really like the shape- maybe the black- I do not like black....... Ya need some really nice walnut. :walnut1950: :rotflmao3::rotflmao3::rotflmao3::rotflmao3::rotflmao3:


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## DKMD (Oct 16, 2012)

Mike1950 said:


> Sorry- makes me think pottery barn ...



That's great… The price just went up a hundred dollars!


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## txpaulie (Oct 16, 2012)

It's a nice form...

Painted wood!?!:no dice. more please::wacko1::i_dunno:

C'mon Man!:blum2:

p


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 16, 2012)

Gotta take your side on this one Doc. I'm not a fan of painted wood either, but am a fan of experimentation. I have a black piece in my shop that was first turned on an ugly piece of wood. It is the vase form that I use very often. We get lost in the burls and swirls and enchantment of the wood and very often overlook bad form. If you really want to see a form on its own merits - paint it black. All the flaws are glaring. I don't see any on your piece! If you put a burled cap on it, or base or handle it will transform it into something all us wood junkies will love. 
A pure black piece will show every single minuscule imperfection. It shows your true turning skills.
Hats off to you Doc for an excellent piece! 
Scott


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## Vern Tator (Oct 16, 2012)

Very cool. I like it a lot. If you want to ship is somewhere, I'll pay the freight to my House.


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## Mike Jones (Oct 16, 2012)

I like it! I've yet to paint one, but it's not for any bias....just haven't got to an ugly piece of pear yet. What size are we looking at?


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## Brink (Oct 17, 2012)

I've done some work for a person who designs the fabrics and prints for a furniture manufacturer. She told me most people shy away from colors and textures. Looking at crafts in a different way now, I can getting a sense when a piece should have matte thin finish, be super glossy, and yes painted.

I like this look. I don't feel brush marks are necessarily bad, this time it works well.


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## Twig Man (Oct 17, 2012)

I like it. It would be cool to paint one and let it turn on the lathe and buff it in certain areas to let the wood shine through in some places. Kind of like a black and white ebony look


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## TimR (Oct 17, 2012)

David, I like it.  I've been using gesso for the interior of a few vessels recently, but I kinda like the brush marks in this. The effect could be kinda neat by varying the strokes too. 
Another thing that would be neat to experiment with, is to apply a band of some metal leafing to it. :i_dunno:
A friend of mine and I were at a club meeting last night, and he had a vessel of some ugly wood that he painted with copper paint and applied a patination spray to it. I'll have to get more details on it...it came out very cool.


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## DKMD (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks to all... Some cool ideas being floated around, and that's always a good thing. Mike, this piece is about 8" tall I'd guess... I rarely measure anything.


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## duncsuss (Oct 17, 2012)

Great experiment -- I like it as it is.

My tutor has used gesso and carved through it to make patterns where the wood shows through -- link to one of her galleries. (Not suggesting you should do this, just thought you might be interested in seeing how one person has approached it.)


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## DKMD (Oct 17, 2012)

duncsuss said:


> Great experiment -- I like it as it is.
> 
> My tutor has used gesso and carved through it to make patterns where the wood shows through -- link to one of her galleries. (Not suggesting you should do this, just thought you might be interested in seeing how one person has approached it.)



Looks like you've got a talented tutor... The carving through the gesso is an intereting idea with lots of possibilities. Thanks for the link!


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