Craig Mason: Lychee Hollow Form With Collar And Finial

Artist: Craig MasonTitle: Lychee Hollow Form With Collar And FinialMaterial: Lychee wood, 24K (.999 fine) gold foilSize:  17 1/2" tall x 7 3/4" wide   All parts of this stunning piece were turned and hand-carved from the same piece of stump.  Dr. Mason hollowed out the finial and created a burned, textured surfase insice, which holds a gold Makau (Hawaiian hook).  The Makau is gilded with 24K (.999 fine) gold foil.  The tree grew in Kaneohe and was removed for a construction project. Dr. Mason has been working with wood for more than 32 years, and uses only reclaimed wood...he never purchases wood or cuts down trees.  "Part of what I love about woodturning is that I can use a natural resource that has outlived its usefulness and would otherwise go to green waste, or worse, the landfill.  We can save that resource from the waste stream and turn it into something beautiful.  It is a wonderful "green" art. Even the sawdust and shavings I create become mulch for friends and neighbors