Derek Weidman & Doug Weidman (USA) Laburnum vessel with mutli-axis turned racoon 17x10cm. SignedThis was such a special project, and I imagine any maker, and undoubtedly myself, would love nothing more than to have all our unfinished pieces that we left behind on Earth, be carried to completion by friends and peers from around the world. In memory of Ray Key, a renowned and incredibly accomplished turner, I think it is safe to say he would have loved to have seen them all. The project provided the opportunity for a rare collaboration with not just Ray, but my father Doug Weidman. My father had known Ray a little and did a re-turning of Ray’s first turning of laburnum. Doug primarily worked on the inside of the piece and refined the base to better connect with the tail. I created a multi axis turned raccoon head as well as a fluffy tail of holly wood. The head was turned on eight axes (give or take), and everything but the surfacing and the ears was purely turned. If you look at the tool marks ob can see the concentric cuts from each axis. The piece was burned with a propane torch for colouring and then the white details were pulled back out with carving through the char. The bottom of Ray’s piece was carved to reference some combination of bark and foliage. I volunteer at a wildlife rescue and often see the resident and recovering raccoons enjoying their stay tucked away in old stumps, hence the title, “Cozy Raccoon Vessel”.The Ray Key Collaboration Auction