Wood Turning

Mike O’Reilly was a local artist on Maui for 24 years. Well known for his custom paint jobs on motorcycles, he is a real Renaissance Artist. In August of 2015, he moved out to the mountains of Colorado making Estes Park his home. He creates art in all media, and his passion has lately turned to woodwork.

Thin Norfolk Pine – turned down to 1/16th thick and finished with Epoxy and Urethane, the sunlight beams right through it like a Lamp. This piece SOLD for $350.

Eggs – Candles – Bowls – Urns – Medicine Jars
  1. Camphor Egg (available $125)
  2. Camphor beeswax Candle (available $150)
  3. Walnut Vase (Sold $125)
  4. Camphor Medicine Jar (Sold $350)
  5. Koa Candle beeswax (Available $125)
  6. Cyprus Bowl w /Live edge (Available $125)
  7. Spalted Mango Egg (Sold $200)
  8. Pheasant Wood Bowl w/ Marble Paper Rim (Available $300)
  9. Purple Heart & Eucalyptus ($175)
  10. Monterrey Cyprus Bowl w/ Bali Coral inlay (Sold $250)
  11. Spalted Mango w/ Turquoise Stone Inlay(Available $950)
  12. Norfolk Pine Bowl Wax finish (Available $150)

Functional and washable. Each piece is a unique, one of a kind original, made by hand.

Michael thrives on creating personalized commissioned pieces. He enjoys adding wicked cool touches such as semi precious stones, gold, silver and copper leaf or hand made Italian marbled paper.

Challenges of Colorado Wood

Michael’s Colorado woodwork is derived from salvaged dead fall from the Colorado Rockies. Logs are then sawn into manageable size blanks and cured in the granite cellar of his mountain cabin. Once dry and stabilized the wood is then turned and sculpted on a lathe in the workshop built inside of a rail road container.

This Juniper was turned to shape within 5 days of being cut Green, already starting to check….Gotta stabilize it with Epoxy ASAP.

The pieces are brought into his studio to prep for the spray booth. They are then finished with the finest automotive grade urethane and epoxy finishes.

Juniper Egg stabilized with Marine Grade Epoxy. Lid cut and inset, egg hollowed out.  While this particular Wood is very difficult to work with – the color variation of grain is unparalleled. $250.00 (why so much $$) – Marine Grade Epoxy w/ UV inhibitors is over $250. a Gal. Polyurethane sells for $50 a Gal. 

Ultimately Unique Lamps

Turned wood lamp and shade.