All of the previous works were completed in the span of about six weeks. During this time, I had researched on line for information and ideas about stone turning. I found a wealth of information on Max Krimmel's web site. Max has been turning alabaster since the late 1980s. His web site generously discloses all of his tricks and secrets. Thanks to Max, I was now inspired to experiment with more elaborate projects.

    During my research, I also found examples of some works by Steve "Spike" Finch. His use of segmented stone to make colorful patterns really got my attention. I had some scraps from my previous endeavors, so I used them as pieces for the segments of my next turning.

    This turned out to be a huge learning experience. It didn't start out with a specific outcome in mind. Therefore, as I came across more extra pieces of stone to use, they were added at different times. Because of this, different kinds of glue were used to bond the various pieces together (I used what ever glue was handy at the time). Using different glues showed their advantages and disadvantages and turned out to be a great experiment by demonstrating which one performed the best.

    It was also a testbed for developing the process to control the wall thickness of the bowl. It provided valuable practice. Since the stone is somewhat translucent, it also provided some practice in ways to photograph it. The camera wasn't the best though, and I only got this one photo before I gave it as a gift.

    In order to aid in visualizing different shapes and colors, I model each piece in the computer. This helps me refine the shape and proportions to create a graceful form. I've included an image of the model.

    Here is my first segmented stone turning (it's about five inches in diameter) . . .