Wow, it has taken off for sure.
So much input some of my thoughts on it.
PeteThat is great that the Japanese lady appreciated your work it is a great feeling.
In relation to ideas, I disagree with the notion that I often here (not that you have here) is that
'nothing is new, it's all been done before'. If this was the case companies and other makers would not be developing and releasing new products and technology that we have not seen before. There are makers out there who are coming up with new stuff all the time.
In relation to inspiration and influences, you are right many or derivative, especially our sort of work that is inspired by Far East pottery etc but being derived, so the concept of a far eastern tea caddy or lidded rice bowl is not a new idea.
But we can put our own slant on it and do something new with it that has not been done before. Finding that new, is the task.
Then there are those pioneers that come up with totally new works we have not seen before.
DavidAre the forms of turning dictated to us due to the shape of the piece we are starting with or by our imagination and experience to be able to see something else and manipulating it. ?
A cored bowl as your example, could be used as a canvas, and yes while the canvass has a limited shape, it can be carved, pierced, coloured, textured, materials added.
It could also be cut up, carved, section glued back together to use the base form as a starting place for sculptures.
Check out the work of Michael Hosaluk.
Michael Hosaluk
Segmented certainly should be designed and planned, but does this mean creativity can not be included in this process, pieces can be segmented, cut up, joined and used for sculpture.
Google
Jerry Bennett woodturner.
Admittedly this work is way up there, but it shows what can be done, with a lot of work, practice and creativity. Not saying it is easy but then is anything that is worth doing easy.
Malcolm Your previous experience in your job means you have a head start, brainstorming is something we did in Police training school as well and while the context for the both of us is totally different the issue of working out a solution to an problem is the same. That can be applied to creativity and design also.
When think about ideas ( no I do not think mine are the best in the world at all, but I refuse to be told that I can not do something, or get better), I never concern myself with the technical of how to. This only restricts the designs or ideas. If we are worrying about 'how to make it' then we would stay with what we know and not get beyond it. There is always a way to make something and sometimes it takes me quite some time to work it out.
My latest Swan sculpture was an instance of this. In the end I looked to traditional turning methods that had been used for over 100 hundred years to produce it.
RichardYour point about the simplest designs working and knowing when to stop for me are very valid. I do not feel that designs have to be over complicated to have a strong impact and often feel that we try to overcomplicate to impress, perhaps, dunno, one to think about.
LesI hear what you say about 'the wood talking', but often I look at the way people have used the woods features and think, 'how did they think of that'. They did as it is their mind set. Look at
Terry Martin
Take a look at the front page and see how he used the woods burr crown to produce the piece he has. Ok it is a sculpture and not a turning, but this is someone that can look at a piece of wood and see how to use the same within it, let's the wood talk.
You yourself are now wanting to try new shapes etc, which shows the progression of thinking and ideas you are having.
This brings me back to what Bryan asked a while ago about
' What do you do to force a creative result' .
It has been my experience that inspiration does not come as a lightning bolt, creativity I believe can not be 'forced' to produce a result. The ideas and designs most often are developed slowly, through years of observation, refining and research and thinking.
This aside I also believe that 'being creative' or whatever you want to call it 'can' be learnt. I know it is not some magical process that only a few possess, yes there are those that pick it up more readily and will be the worlds leaders. But the rest of us can also get involved with the process and benefit from it.
Also I do not believe that being creative in woodturning means we have to move away from pure turning.
These are just my thoughts, does not mean I am in anyway right, just musing over what you said.
So as an idea and you all may not want to do this, no matter if not. Why not lets think about what we can do with a bowl turned from a standard 6 inch dia x 3 inch bowl blank.
You don't have to make it, there is no time limit or criteria other than the blank.
Just sketch your ideas if you want. Smash it up, kick it around, cut it up, burn it, stick nails in it, anything. Or Just look at what you can do with a pure form, you may think about just texturing and colouring it in ways you have not done before.
No one has to do this if they don't want to. Up to you.
Edited as I saw more typo's than normal.