Flaming June

We held a virtual turning competition in June 2020 (as we couldn't meet face-to-face due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic). The title was "Flaming June", and the theme was "Something to reflect the title!". Here are the results.

The competition was judged independently and anonymously by Peter Wade, Pat O'Connell and Richard Peers. We were judging on four categories: Brief, Form, Function and Finish. The committee decided not to publish the scores, but to show the entry photographs and a summary of the judges' comments for each entry. We received a total of 4 entries.

Member	Judges' Comments
Adrian King	Good idea and represents Flaming June well. Obvious look of flames at the top, but did not get why the lower half was green with flowers. Lots of colouring has been used to produce both a summer meadow of flowers and shooting flames, so this piece definitely invokes the theme. I like the way the flames are not just in a single rim, but have depth across the work.	I'm guessing that the intended use is as a vase or weed pot, and not just an ornament. It is quite small, at only 11cm high and 7cm across. The flames are a bit too chunky to really carry off the effect being reached for. It works well as a decorative ornament. I take it that it is purely decorative.	Good proportions. The shape is very good - nice flowing curves, with good proportions. The base has been reworked to remove all signs of the original mounting point and leave a clean surface. The proportions are good with the vase being 11 x 7 cms. Maybe there should be less flames and the remaining flames more defined.	Good hand work. There is very little natural wood remaining, so this is hard to assess. The paintwork is rendered in a naïve style, somewhat like a Clarice Cliff pottery piece. I think this vase is rather over painted.
Dave Gunner	Represents flaming June well. This is a marvellous interpretation of the theme, with both flames and smoke present in the clear section of the sphere, while the wood section has been coloured to resemble the heart of a fire. A strikingly unusual piece. The look of the ball needed to be darker flame colours.	It is purely decorative. It is clearly ornamental, but carries this off with aplomb, from the burr stand upwards. Like a real fire, I could sit and stare into this for a while, even without the movement of the real thing. Works well as a decorative piece.	The sphere is perfectly formed; any deviation would be easily spotted. I would have liked to see the stand being shaped a little more - I don't have a problem with the orthogonal sides, but it is lopsided. I thought this piece was let down by the lack of actual woodturning; maybe the base should have been turned. Good proportions, but I would have liked to have seen the base turned.	Good work. Well finished as any turned resin would be. It may have been possible to get a glossier surface, but I'm not sure whether that would prevent us seeing the swirls and patterns inside the sphere. The burr stand looks like it has no finish coat, and may well have a better colour contrast if it was given one.
Graham Mee (winner)	A clever interpretation, as we have both a parasol and an umbrella, to cope with the vagaries of June weather: both "Flaming June" and "flamin' June!" Good idea for Flaming June. Slightly obscure from brief.	It is purely decorative. It's an ornamental piece using different timbers. It's only 8in across, so it is not intended as a real parasol or umbrella, more a whimsical ornament. It clearly achieves that - a real coffee table talking point! There are some nice details, like the winding handle and different finials.	Good proportions, but I would have liked to have seen the base turned. Generally a very neat bit of work, with good proportions. I would have liked to see more shape in the spindles, and fewer parallel lines; the parasol could have had radial lines to represent the spokes. Is the umbrella handle completely in line with the shaft? The proportions are good. Nice to see an entry using multiple timbers.	Finished well and looks good. Good work. Very nice finish, a good sheen and no sign of breakout or other turning marks.
Neil Innes	Did not fit the brief as only one picture submitted, and no notes. Good interpretation of Flaming June, especially the vase. We have lots of flames, so it works to that degree, but there's no particular summertime feel about it. As well as the candles, there is a vase or hollow form with a carved rim to form flames, but with only one photo it is hard to assess it properly.	If the candles can be removed it makes the candlesticks usable. Not sure that the candlesticks and vase go together; they may have been better as two separate entries. Is there a real candle burning in the vase? It may be a candlestick too, but I can't tell. Confusion as there were effectively multiple entries.	Each individual candlestick would probably look good on its own, but as a collection there is no flow between them. Sorry, but for me the aesthetics just don't work. I do like the big vase - some really good flowing curves, and excellent use of colour. Some nice pieces of work; I wish the vase had been entered on its own, or the candles. All in proportion, especially the vase.	Pieces are dull and could have been finished with a gloss finish. The finish is good, but not great - it may be that the timber is letting you down, but there are checks and clear signs of breakout in places. Good work.

Member

Image

Judges' Comments

Brief

Form

Function

Finish

Adrian King

Good idea and represents Flaming June well.
Obvious look of flames at the top, but did not get why the lower half was green with flowers.
Lots of colouring has been used to produce both a summer meadow of flowers and shooting flames, so this piece definitely invokes the theme. I like the way the flames are not just in a single rim, but have depth across the work.

I'm guessing that the intended use is as a vase or weed pot, and not just an ornament. It is quite small, at only 11cm high and 7cm across. The flames are a bit too chunky to really carry off the effect being reached for.
It works well as a decorative ornament.
I take it that it is purely decorative.

Good proportions.
The shape is very good - nice flowing curves, with good proportions. The base has been reworked to remove all signs of the original mounting point and leave a clean surface.
The proportions are good with the vase being 11 x 7 cms. Maybe there should be less flames and the remaining flames more defined.

Good hand work.
There is very little natural wood remaining, so this is hard to assess. The paintwork is rendered in a naïve style, somewhat like a Clarice Cliff pottery piece.
I think this vase is rather over painted.

Dave Gunner

Represents flaming June well.
This is a marvellous interpretation of the theme, with both flames and smoke present in the clear section of the sphere, while the wood section has been coloured to resemble the heart of a fire. A strikingly unusual piece.
The look of the ball needed to be darker flame colours.

It is purely decorative.
It is clearly ornamental, but carries this off with aplomb, from the burr stand upwards. Like a real fire, I could sit and stare into this for a while, even without the movement of the real thing.
Works well as a decorative piece.

The sphere is perfectly formed; any deviation would be easily spotted. I would have liked to see the stand being shaped a little more - I don't have a problem with the orthogonal sides, but it is lopsided.
I thought this piece was let down by the lack of actual woodturning; maybe the base should have been turned.
Good proportions, but I would have liked to have seen the base turned.

Good work.
Well finished as any turned resin would be.
It may have been possible to get a glossier surface, but I'm not sure whether that would prevent us seeing the swirls and patterns inside the sphere. The burr stand looks like it has no finish coat, and may well have a better colour contrast if it was given one.

Graham Mee (winner)

A clever interpretation, as we have both a parasol and an umbrella, to cope with the vagaries of June weather: both "Flaming June" and "flamin' June!"
Good idea for Flaming June.
Slightly obscure from brief.

It is purely decorative.
It's an ornamental piece using different timbers.
It's only 8in across, so it is not intended as a real parasol or umbrella, more a whimsical ornament. It clearly achieves that - a real coffee table talking point! There are some nice details, like the winding handle and different finials.

Good proportions, but I would have liked to have seen the base turned.
Generally a very neat bit of work, with good proportions. I would have liked to see more shape in the spindles, and fewer parallel lines; the parasol could have had radial lines to represent the spokes. Is the umbrella handle completely in line with the shaft?
The proportions are good. Nice to see an entry using multiple timbers.

Finished well and looks good.
Good work.
Very nice finish, a good sheen and no sign of breakout or other turning marks.

Neil Innes

Did not fit the brief as only one picture submitted, and no notes.
Good interpretation of Flaming June, especially the vase.
We have lots of flames, so it works to that degree, but there's no particular summertime feel about it. As well as the candles, there is a vase or hollow form with a carved rim to form flames, but with only one photo it is hard to assess it properly.

If the candles can be removed it makes the candlesticks usable.
Not sure that the candlesticks and vase go together; they may have been better as two separate entries. Is there a real candle burning in the vase? It may be a candlestick too, but I can't tell.
Confusion as there were effectively multiple entries.

Each individual candlestick would probably look good on its own, but as a collection there is no flow between them. Sorry, but for me the aesthetics just don't work. I do like the big vase - some really good flowing curves, and excellent use of colour.
Some nice pieces of work; I wish the vase had been entered on its own, or the candles.
All in proportion, especially the vase.

Pieces are dull and could have been finished with a gloss finish.
The finish is good, but not great - it may be that the timber is letting you down, but there are checks and clear signs of breakout in places.
Good work.