Partially Sandblasted Bent Apple with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

Konstantin Shekita's finishes are always impressive, through use of carving techniques and grain alike. I'm particularly smitten by this bent Apple, however, and his use of sandblast to define the focus of the piece as a whole. The bowl here is the star, with its plump, well-rounded figure and crisp, low-profile sandblast that stretches through a slight cinch at the rear of the bowl and through the broad transition. It's bordered by soft panels at the shank, defined in part by their shift to a smooth finish, replete with neatly-arranged cross-grain, and topped with a pale, boxwood mount for contrast. It's an exercise in both texture and palette, and one which has led to some great success.