Post #253321 by Tamapoutini on Sat, Sep 9, 2006 5:04 PM

Hi guys. On with the FINAL installment for this lovely lady...

Thanks Benz/Hewey...

Harro - Fast? Easy? It does help to be working at it fulltime I guess but still feels like slow progress to me. Yeah, just comes down to practice & discipline really. My own short career has been a huge learning curve with as much focus having to be spent on marketing/selling as carving (if I hadnt my family would be 'blinged-up' but in the gutter, good look, haha) My usual practice is to have about 50 pieces on the go at varying stages, I wake up & decide what 'stage' I feel like doing today & pick a piece. Some weeks nothing leaves the workshop, while another week might see 10 finished -not all tikis though. The majority of my work is small, cheap 'B&B' lines(all comes down to the bills that need paying that week, haha)

Clean-up or sanding stage brgins with a quick skim on the pointcarving unit, using drums loaded with diamond cloth. This is better suited for larger expances of 'shape', as opposed to the intricacy/complexity of hei-tiki, but is a quick way to hit some of the larger areas.

The internal arm/leg holes are reached with strips of the same, work being held in a small vice. shuka-shuka...

The rest of the form is cleaned up by hand using small pieces. Its a pretty slow route but ensures that the deeper areas are attended to. scritchy-scratchy...

The whole form is gone over using these methods with 2 or 3 grades of diamond cloth, (depending on how stone is 'behaving') & is then repeated with wet'n'dry carborundum/al.oxide paper, also through 2/3 grade of fineness... stritchy-scratchy...

This all causes the microscopic frosting/scatches to slowly disappear & and gives a 'pre-polish finish'...

It is at this stage that I stop & call the carving finished & turn to producing eyes if its going to have inlays. Many carvers would now buff to a high gloss using a spinning mop/leather/felt charged with tin oxide paste, but I really prefer to leave as is. It gives a far more 'authentic' look (the pre-contact Maori didnt have electric polishing units!) & actually shows the stone off better in my opinion. A high polish tends to cause reflections, which distract the eye & give a plastic-look and a 'sticky' feel. (one of Pounamus lesser-know attributes is her amazing 'feel' when touched, cant be described, must be experienced). When left with a matte/satin finish it is easier to scry the depths of the stone itself...
A periodic 'wipe on - wipe off' with a thin oil or wax is the best way to maintain a nice lustre, a bit like oiling/poilshing wood I imagine.

Without further ado, may I present 'Hei-tiki Wahine'...

Made some paua/abalone eyes but they were a bit flashy/distracting, so went with mother-of-pearl instead.

And the 'money-shots', showing the unique soft translucency that only Pounanmu can offer, ahhhhh...

I dont normally sign my work, (though have often been tempted, I have witness many online 'dupes' being pulled where contemporary hei-tiki are being sold as authentic artifacts, knowly or not?hmmmm) but from TC inspiration comes... (I 'doctored' my Gemini symbol, giving it a long 'willy' in the centre, haha) TTT

You saw it here...
Hope youve enjoyed the quick tour of my world. Admittedly there is a bit more to it than what you have seen but for interests sake Ive kept it as brief as I am able, phew! If anyone is dabbling with jade, feel free to pick my brain further...

Happy carving everyone! Tama The Terrible :)

[ Edited by: tamapoutini 2006-09-10 01:53 ]