Help with art photography

I am a woodworker/woodturner by hobby. I also sell my work on the internet as well as in some galleries. I want to improve my photo skills. The two attached pictures were taken using a light cube. I shine a daybright floresecent through the sides of the cube and one straight down from the top. The room is also lite with daybright floresecent bubs.

Both pictures was made with a 7D and an EFS 18-55MM lens. Both pictures were run through PS with some "auto settings" and cropped. I would like to use the black ground for the light colored woods, but it does not look good to me.

The first picture was made with AP value f/10, 1/50 sec., fstop f/10, iso 400, focal length of 36mm and no flash.

The second picture was made with AP value f/10, 1/30 sec., fstop f/10, iso 3200, focal length of 36mm and no flash.

TIA
roger

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To improve the quality of your photos you would have to pick up photography as a hobby too.

You might want to try to change your title. Art photography means photography as Art, not photography of art. This is product photography. If you are going to be doing this much and you want accurate colors, I would suggest picking up some inexpensive hotshoe flashes. Continuous light isnt powerful enough and comes with some bad color issues. The first one seems a bit underexposed and the second is obviously over exposed. Do you use your camera's histogram to confirm your exposure?

You can also try taking your photos outdoors using natural light and a simple cloth backdrop. Maybe a blue would help to really bring out all that beautiful wood grain. Just a thought.

First thanks all for the comments.

"To improve the quality of your photos you would have to pick up photography as a hobby too."
I started as a hobby several years making pictures of my art and baseball of my grandson. I intend to make photography a serios hobby. I have upgraded to a 7D, puchased a 100-400MML and a 24-105L 1.4 lenses. Also, I am here to get imput to get better.

"You might want to try to change your title." Noted and will do. Yes, I do use the histogram. The hotshoe flashes will have to wait awhile.

MommaBird, I will try some outdoors. However woodturners frown on blue backdrops for some reasons.

Unfortunatley, with glossy items like these, "point" light sources will drive you to drink...

I think your light cube might serve you better outdoors (ideally on an overcast day) where the light is far more diffused.

The make a Product called Dulling spray. Washes off with warm soapy water ah not so warm works but you have to buff harder.
Try you light tent out doors on an overcast day you still may have to defuse out some of the light, the bring it back up in Photoshop. But as the tilted one above stated glossy is very bossy and hard to control.