Post #330314 by Paipo on Wed, Sep 5, 2007 12:55 AM

Thanks Benz. Would you believe all the stone with rind on it used to be cut off and discarded back in the old days (right up until the 90s)? It is quite prized now, as is any scrap of kiwi jade. Tricky to work with though, when the stone changes from hard to soft in just a few mm, but worth it for the beautiful shades.

Cheers for stopping by JP. It doesn't seem fast to me, with my time divided between my various duties these days, but a few days out of the workshop does do wonders for my enthusiasm when I do get back in there. I'm hoping to visit your area of expertise (Melanesia) pretty soon...poring over the books and working out the angles :wink:

Benella - I'm stoked you liked the pics of the new Marq. They are starting to get where I want after a year of contemplation and a dozen attempts. I think in a lot of ways it's the hardest style to get "right", and also my favourite going by how obsessed I have become with them. I have another bigger, more ambitious one I'm itching to start soon.
As for the name...the literal translation would be "Large Eyes" :o

I did a little more on the mask today, but not enough to notice on the pic I took. Finished tomorrow?