Post #267646 by Tamapoutini on Sun, Nov 19, 2006 12:41 AM

Hi guys.

Busy, busy. More to share...

Cheers Benz & Tikigap!

Kings: Although WD-40 is a quick and easy method during making I wouldnt really use it once a piece is finished. The main problem is the smell. I personally quite like it but dont think my paying punters would. Neopol furniture polish is nice, seriously!
Your best bet is 'baby-oil' or similar, thin, clear low scented mineral oil. Ordinary cooking oil will do in a pinch, as would thin leather wax, wood polish etc... Its pretty hard to damage jade by means other than dropping onto concrete or smacking with a hammer.
Just a wipe on, wipe off, Bullet-san.
Or do as 'we' do, rub it on your nose :lol:

On with the show...

Started a couple of new pieces today. Well, one was already profiled and shown on an earlier page. A bit of an only-just-tiki day today...

Eureka lessons having been learned, I quickly resort back to my tight little ways. Yes, both of these were worked out very carefully on the white stuff first & transferred. So sue me... :lol:

A unique Manaia/birdman form. These are often seen flanking human figures in Maori art & are seen as protective/guardians. Often depicted as simply a beak.

And a new one. A maverick among NZ jade carvers; I very rarely produce anything with a koru (spiral) on it :lol: seeing as how they have been done to death & in 1001 different flavours...

Broke tradition for no reason at all other than I had drawn this the other night & thought it ought to happen. Not particularly tiki but a perfectly acceptable example of 'modern Maori art'...

A classic lovey-dovey image of Mum, Dad and Child all hugging & loving. Someone will love it! Sarcasm aside, I am quite pleased with the design & have been 'discovering' more & more about it as I worked on it. Its got the usual NZ treefern reference, an unfurling frond & the koru is nowdays seen as a symbol of growth & change. A perfect image for a growing family. The image is pretty obvious, a mother holding child & daddy protecting both, but I saw into it that all are also in 'hongi' pose (trad greeeting where noses & foreheads are pressed. A Happy-Hongi-Family-Fuzzy-Whanau-Kuddly-Koru-Kodak moment. Say cheese-ey *

And thats the external shaping virtually sorted, now comes the fiddly stuff; getting into those spirals... another time, heehee

Did a bit more on the Swingers fingers Gman & they are looking cool. Thought Id start with the hands just to be sure that the piece was going to happen, wasnt too sure myself! Possibly have a buyer lined up already...? Stay tuned.

Tama out. Terribly. :)