About Exotic Vessels by Steve “Spike” Finch, Lathe Artist

 
Exotic Vessels creates and sells fine handcrafted, one-of-a-kind segmented stone and wood vessels, vases and bowls.  Exotic Vessels (EV) was conceived and founded by Steve "Spike" Finch, who also happens to be the lathe artist and designer behind EV.  Today EV is run by Spike and his business partner, Stephanie.

What’s in a name?

Exotic refers to the origin, locale, history and antiquity of the materials used, stone and wood.  “Vessels” incorporates the extensive variety of shapes and styles created.

What makes Steve “Spike” Finch’s exotic vessels so unique?
There are many reasons. Spike is an enthusiastic and passionate lathe artist and takes great pride in the beauty, detail and uniqueness of each vessel. His creation style is organic. Letting the material speak to him, revealing the shape and style that creates each one-of-a-kind piece. We call it “uncovering the beauty within”.

One of Spikes signature styles of artistry is his marriage of materials via layered segmentation.  This is a time consuming, tumultuous process, requiring the utmost precision in cuts. Other signature touches include hollowing the bases’, enabling more light to pass through the stone and making it ideal for setting a vessel on a light stand.  Although, the walls of his vessels are turned very thin (3/16ths of an inch, material permitting) it furthers enables the light to pass through the walls of most stone.  These steps add further distinction and dimension to each vessel and highlight his artistic talents and craftsmanship, which is what you will receive from Exotic Vessels by Steve “Spike” Finch.

Exotic Vessels evolves every day, Spike is continually challenging the materials and tools he uses. In fact, Spike must create or customize his tools enabling him to do extraordinary things.


What makes an Exotic Vessel "Exotic"?

Exotic refers to the origin, locale, history and antiquity of the materials used, stone and wood

     
What makes Exotic Vessels so unique?

There are many reasons, but let’s start with the fine details.  Signature style of Steve “Spike” Finch’s artistry is his marriage of materials via segmentation.  Segmentation refers to the process of cutting individual pieces of stone or wood, combining them and forming them into a ring or doughnut shape that will later be used to create the base, rim, finial and/or other decorative detail within the vessel. Each segmented ring is made up of 18 individual pieces.  They may be married with the same stone or intermixed with different stone or wood.  In addition, there may be several layers of segmentation as shown below.  This is a time consuming tumultuous process, requiring the utmost precision in cuts, but adds to the overall beauty, detail and uniqueness to each vessel.  The more segmentation and layering the more time consuming the vessel.  Segmentation creates further stability and if done with wood makes it so you will never see the end grain of the wood.

Another signature style of Steve “Spike” Finch’s is the hollowed "Ring" bases.  This allows light to pass through the vessel when placed on a light stand, further enhancing the piece.

Segmented wood rim accents, detail and color. This rim is made up of 18 segments of canary wood and Madagascar rosewood.

About Soapstone, Alabaster and Care for your Exotic Vessel

How do I care for my Exotic Vessel?

Care of your vessel should take little more than careful handling and a dusting now and then. As alabaster and soapstone are a 'soft' stone, they could be scratched with fingernails, rings and jewelry and will possibly break if dropped. Our vessels are left in their natural state and are not intended to carry, put or hold water or any other liquids. Like any other valuable art, it should be handled with care.

What Is Soapstone?

Soapstone is crystalline-metamorphic rock consisting of Steatite and/or the mineral Talc. Soft and smooth to the touch like rubbing a piece of dry soap. Thus the name - "Soap" Stone. And no, you can't wash with it. The hardness and appearance of soapstone is determined by the mineral content and comes in a wide range of colors depending on its origin.

How old is Soapstone?

It can range in age from 200 to 400 million years old depending on which part of the planet it is drawn from. How do they get Soapstone? Soapstone is quarried like Granite and Marble. What are the components of Soapstone? Steatite’s components are magnesite, dolomite, chlorite, talc and may contain serpentine, magnetite, and quartz (rarely). Talc is mainly composed of chlorite and the mineral Talc.

What are the origins of Soapstone?

Soapstone exists almost everywhere in the world, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, East Africa, Egypt, India, and the United States. All of which exhibit a wide variety of color schemes. Soapstone is also found in Switzerland and Germany but is often too hard to work with. Brazilian Soapstone is the preferred carving stone due to its unique patterns, colors and hues.

What are some other uses of Soapstone?

Soapstone (Steatite) is used in a variety of ways such as architectural applications, sculptures, vases, goblets, fireplaces, countertops and was also used to “coat” the most famous structure in Brazil, the large image of Jesus on top of the mountain overlooking the city of Rio De Janeiro. The mineral talc is used in everyday products such as toothpaste, baby powder and even chewing gum.

What is Alabaster?

Alabaster is a fine-grained, massive, translucent variety of gypsum. Alabaster characteristics are unique in color, translucency, banding and veining according to the area from which it was quarried.

How old is Alabaster?

It can range in age from 200 to 400 million years old depending on which part of the planet it is drawn from. How was Alabaster formed? Alabaster forms by the evaporation of bedded deposits that are precipitated mainly from evaporating seawater. In Colorado, alabaster was formed when the great Inland Sea covered that area of land. The creatures in the sea lived and died and their calcium-rich shells collected on the sea floor for millions of years. The seas dried up, the Rocky Mountains pushed up through and in some areas the heat and pressure changed the calcium deposits to alabaster. The same is true in the caverns of Freedom, Oklahoma. The underground site was created naturally when the area of north-central Oklahoma was covered by an Inland Sea. In Tuscany, Italy alabaster occurs in nodular masses embedded in limestone and is largely worked by means of underground galleries.

How do they get Alabaster?

Alabaster is quarried like Granite and Marble.

What are the components of Alabaster?

Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals: gypsum and calcite. The former is the alabaster of the present day; the latter is (generally) the alabaster of the ancients. These two kinds are readily distinguished from each other by their relative hardness.

What are the origins of Alabaster?

Alabaster exists throughout the world, England, Egypt, Iran, Italy, Mexico (exported under Mexican Onyx) and the United States. On the continent of Europe, the center of the alabaster trade is Florence, Italy. The finest, obtained primarily from Castellina, is sent to Florence for figure-sculpture. Black Alabaster is rare and found in only three veins in the world, Oklahoma (USA), Italy and China.

What are some other uses of Alabaster?

Egyptians used alabaster extensively in sarcophagi, in the linings of tombs, in the walls and ceilings of temples, and in vases and sacrificial vessels. The Italians used it extensively in medieval churches.