For this piece I started our with a dried piece of firewood.  I began by turning it slowly on the lathe to develop the mouth and neck of the vase.  When satisfied, I completed the shaping with my Arbortech carver and hand gouges.  After much sanding, I began by lightly toasting the entire piece with a plumber’s propane torch.  This is where magic happens.  Toasting it allows different patterns, textures and cracks to develop.  After the entire piece is blackened, I lightly sand it with 500 to 1000 grit sandpaper to smooth it out and remove most of the loose charring.  I then toast it again and apply a satin spray sealer.  Once dry I sand lightly again and then apply my homemade blend of flax seed oil and wax.  Buffing is the last step until I achieve my desired finish.  The size is approxiately 15″ tall and 4″ – 5″ wide.