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Rudolph Lopez | New and Old

Currency:USD Category:Art / Medium - Wood Start Price:NA
Rudolph Lopez | New and Old
SOLD
275.00USDto D******e+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2020 Jul 10 @ 19:40UTC-4 : AST/EDT
Rudolph Lopez, Tampa, Florida

New and Old, 2020
Cherry, Ebony and Agate
14 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches | 35.56 x 13.97

New and Old

This piece was turned from a cherry tree killed during the November 2016 forest fires that burned through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This cherry tree was approximately 40 years old. Charred mostly on one side due to the way the fire swept up the mountain, it was dead standing for about a year before being cut down. Along with the intense heat from the fire, this created interesting coloration in the wood. I chose to turn this piece end-grain meaning the grain of the tree is oriented vertically in the form with the pith of the tree in the center. I was able to retain some of the lighter colored sap-wood that was not fire damaged around the exterior.

The finial is a polished slab of banded agate. As I started incorporating different stone slabs in my turnings and learning a little about them, I was intrigued by how agates are formed compared to trees. Trees are formed (some over hundreds of years) growing from the pith outward forming the annual growth rings as the tree grows. Agates are formed (over thousands of years) layering microscopic quartz crystals from the outer portion of the Agate toward the center. I like the way this particular agate exhibits formation (growth) rings that very much resemble the growth rings of trees. But can take up to 30,000 years to form.

The piece is finished in a hand rubbed Lacquer to a satin sheen.



I have always had a love of natural objects and the environment in which they flourish. While growing up, I often visited my uncle’s cattle ranch near Tampa, Florida, with my father and uncles where we spent many of our days in the woods.

I developed my creative eye through photography, my first artistic pursuit. With an education in drafting and design and drawing inspiration from the surroundings of my youth, I began a relationship with wood as a craftsman of fine furniture and cabinetry. I am especially drawn to wood with imperfections such as knots, voids, wormholes, or decay.

Wood is an imperfect medium, yet I never cease to be amazed by the incredible amount of beauty to be found as I create a new turning. My goal is to enhance this beauty to create something that invites the eye and beckons the touch. I prefer simple shapes with sensuous flowing lines that showcase and reflect the natural characteristics of the wood. Whether captured with a lens, or crafted with a lathe, nature becomes art.

rudolphlopez.com