Buckeye Burl Slice

This display form was turned from a spectacular slice of Buckeye Burl. Too thin for a standard turning, the slice is mounted on poplar struts and an oak base so that both faces are visible—each equally striking, and very different from the other.

Buckeye burl is soft, with a palette of grays, whites, blacks, and touches of brown and orange, the result of underground minerals oxidizing within the wood as it absorbs them. The patterns these colors create are spectacular, unlike any other burl in the world. The piece was finely sanded and sealed, then finished with Danish oil and hand-rubbed with a blend of carnauba and beeswax in a light solvent for a light, transparent finish.

All profits from sales of woodturnings are donated by the artist to support famine and victim relief in Darfur.