Milk Painted Calabash Bowl

[D.Oliver]

This was my attempt at turning a calabash bowl (I'm don't think I have the proportions quite right). Anyways, I liked the results I got with milk paint on the last bowl I did, so I wanted to keep experimenting with it. On the inside of this bowl I used a base coat of black, followed by a coat of red which was distressed with sand paper. I reversed that on the outside of the bowl (base coat of red, followed by a coat of black which was distressed with sand paper). I then put on three coats of wipe on poly and finished it with a coat of paste wax. It got a little more shiny than I wanted, but I'm still happy with it. What do you think? I know some feel that painting a turned bowl is sacrilegious. My feelings won't be hurt if you're not a fan of this particular piece. I've got thick skin so let's hear what you think; good, bad, or otherwise.

 

[Dalecamino]

I'm a big fan of these "Stone Age" looking bowls. I like the really THICK walls. :wink: Almost looks like you just scooped out the center with a spoon. Did you do these yourself? :biggrin:

 

[lyonsacc]

That looks really good Derek. I like the shape and size.

A few questions for you:
How did you apply the wipe on poly?
When you mix milk with your paint, do you use old milk? (I have a problem with it curdling)

 

[Mike@CSUSA]

@lyonsacc What kind of milk paint are you using? I like to use a concentrated powder you mix with water.

 

[lyonsacc]

@lyonsacc What kind of milk paint are you using? I like to use a concentrated powder you mix with water.

I'm just being a dork to Derek.

 

[Sataro]

Very nice looking bowl!

 

[lhowell]

These look great! Painted bowls are great as long as it wasn't something like spalted maple you covered up in the process! I've recently had to step back into furniture making and the whole fad is that chalk paint with distressed waxed finishes....it is an ARTFORM to get that to look natural so kudos to you on the distressed milk paint!

 

[Charlie_W]

Super cool Derek!!!
The bowl shape looks fine here and your paints with the reverse technique has a depth of richness to it! Very classy!

 

[Jim15]

I think it looks great.

 

[leehljp]

Looks Great! I like it! Before clicking to see it larger, it reminded me of Japanese bowls.

Your basic technique in principle is like the Japanese, but since you have thick skin, I will tell it like it is: they require you to spend at least 10 years as an apprentice before you get to make your own. :biggrin: OH, and they use a very special lacquer instead.

 

[thewishman]

That bowl would look perfect with some butter pecan ice cream in it. Or cookie dough ice cream. Or Heath bar crunch. Or orange/vanilla. Or cookies and cream. Or mint chocolate chip. Or malted milk ball. Or strawberry cheesecake with white chocolate covered pretzel bites.

 

[stonepecker]

Derek,
I like the looks and the paint. Very nice and it shows what else a person can do with a very plain looking piece of wood.
If you get tired of looking at it, my wife says she has a place for it. On the headboard full of M&M's

 

[mark james]

I'm a big fan of these "Stone Age" looking bowls. I like the really THICK walls. :wink: Almost looks like you just scooped out the center with a spoon. Did you do these yourself? :biggrin:

I actually think Derek did a great job. Not quite a spoon, but still a fancy tool for South Dakota!

Well Done Derek :wink:

 

[Dalecamino]

Looks Great! I like it! Before clicking to see it larger, it reminded me of Japanese bowls.

Your basic technique in principle is like the Japanese, but since you have thick skin, I will tell it like it is: they require you to spend at least 10 years as an apprentice before you get to make your own. :biggrin: OH, and they use a very special lacquer instead.

Urushi?

 

[leehljp]

Looks Great! I like it! Before clicking to see it larger, it reminded me of Japanese bowls.

Your basic technique in principle is like the Japanese, but since you have thick skin, I will tell it like it is: they require you to spend at least 10 years as an apprentice before you get to make your own. :biggrin: OH, and they use a very special lacquer instead.

Urushi?

Urushi - yes. But for foreigners they used the word "lacquer ware." :biggrin:

Finishes was something (the correct wording) that was hard for me to learn over there. Most of it was not in dictionaries. I found some tung oil when I was in Tokyo in the first few years there. (That was because it had "Tung Oil" on the can written in English.) Several years later I couldn't find any. Looked in THICK dictionaries, asked friends about Tung Oil. No one knew. No stores had it. About 10 years later, I picked up a glass bottle in the finish section of a store that i had seen numerous times over the years. I took it home to research it. It said in Kanji "China Tree Oil". THAT was tung oil. It had been there all along. I just didn't know the right word to ask.

 

[Bob in SF]

Great bowl!

 

[Marko50]

Love it!