Summer Olympics 9" tall
Dennis chose to explore using local materials for woodturning when he moved to Colorado nine years ago. Aspen is a challenging wood for woodturners. Many times, it lacks the beautiful figure that woodturners value. Dennis decided to use turquoise–a native mineral in the mountain west–to enhance the forms.
Rock paintings are the inspiration for the Olympic sports figures used on this piece. To add contrast, Dennis chose a red pipestone for the inlay on the carved figures.
If you are interested in trying stone inlay, sign up for one of the demonstrations that Dennis offers for local woodturning clubs, or call for coaching: 719-481-8754
Many woodturners use a variation of this carve/inlay technique. Stephen Hatcher is another woodturner who works with semi-precious stone inlay. Coincidentally, he was born in Colorado Springs!