No need to be embarrassed Ed, we were all at our "2nd Bowl" stage, everyone has to climb these steps, and I applaud you for showing us your efforts.
Nice piece of wood for sure, your form needs work, but you know that, and the tear-out thing, well, that still gets any of us at times
Spalted wood is often prone to it, as the spalting is the wood in the first stages of decay, so you get a lot of variation in the density of the wood.
Still, as a second effort, I think you are doing quite well.
So did you build a donut chuck? If so, we want pics
I've found that learning the mechanics of the turning was a big hurdle, trying to figure out how to actually do some of this stuff, once you get that noodled, then you can work more on improving your skills.
Bernie was saying the other day, about sanding, how when he started out, he pushed real hard, thought it was working harder etc, but it was not, this is so very true.
Today, while I was sanding another cherry bowl, I, yet again
, analyzed my technique, and found it lacking, so I went about things in a slightly different way, which I'll post to a new thread.
It is a constant learning thing, kind of like an onion, each layer you peel off, just reveals another layer below, and usually there are some tears involved
Keep it up Ed, you are doing great, can't wait to see the 22nd bowl, so make sure your date and hang on to this one, then, down the road, go back and look at it, you will be pleased at the skills you are learning!