Liam O'Neill (Ireland) spalted beech platter 7x49cm. SignedRay Key tribute piece.Liam O’Neill.Title: Wormy Spalted Beech Platter. I first met Ray in 1980 at Parnham House, Dorset, at Europe’s first modern seminar in Woodturning. Attendees were exposed for the first time to the groundbreaking work of a number of top US craftsmen, but Ray’s exquisite boxes, platters and bowls perfectly married the artistic with the functional. Three years later, when I ran Ireland’s first seminar, Ray was my natural choice to be our headline demonstrator. He was a seminal influence on all who came in contact with him. We demonstrated together many times over the years, and because we shared a similar turning philosophy, I always enjoyed his company. The roughed out piece which I chose to complete is one of Ray’s iconic platters. It was riddled with woodworm, but he had marked the holes, so I concluded that he intended to finish it. The piece was already dry so I completed the turning, and thoroughly soaked it in cellulose thinners to kill any remaining worm eggs. It curled a bit when suffused with the liquid, but returned to the flat when dried again. I filled most of the worm holes with a mixture of black graphite powder and glue, but inevitably, I missed a couple. It is finished with satin Ronseal. It was a privilege to know Ray, and my turning was the richer because of him. He will be missed, not only by Liz and Darren, but by thousands around the world. Goodbye Ray. Liam O’Neill, April 2019.The Ray Key Collaboration Auction