Dizzy bowls and wall art

Graeme Rigden talked last Tuesday about the process behind creating "Dizzy Bowls". A comical but apt name for these stunning bowls due to the illusion of a vortex created by the use of wood laminates.

Laminating is the process of gluing layers of materials. In this case the use of different coloured timber strips bonded together achieves an extra visual dimension in turned projects.

To make a dizzy bowl, rings are cut from a laminated wood block which are stacked and glued on top of each other to create a hollow form. During assembly, each layer is laid with a slight twist in alignment from the ring beneath, resulting in a flowing pattern emerging.

The hollow form is then mounted onto a lathe to smooth out angles and refine the shape.

The finished piece of art gives the optical illusion of a moving swirl that draws the eye into the centre.

Graeme also showed us how to create impressive wall art. Having cut a milled square of wood into many strips, he assembles them back together in a box jig. The jig is then put onto a lathe to have a design turned onto the face. Add colour to contrast or highlight, and the project can be mounted for wall hanging in infinite configurations. This is because the strips of wood can be rotated, re-ordered, misaligned and manipulated into many formations depending on preference.

Graeme's example which he bought along for the demonstration gave the impression of outward ripples of water, because of the gentle troughs and peaks carved into the wood, finished with metallic blue spray paint. It could potentially be mounted square; with gaps added between the strips; pushed into a new shape; or with the strips turned and alternated to create a random abstract design - the beauty of this project lies in the possibilities. During the demo Graeme also turned the reverse of his wall hanging, which further increased the scope for visual interest.

Keep an eye on this blog for the upcoming video of Graeme's demo, which will illustrate these processes in greater depth.​