Post #295647 by Tipua on Fri, Mar 30, 2007 4:59 AM

Thanks heaps Tama! Your encouragement means a lot. I'm only just starting, so hopefully I may get a little better. Probably not to your standard, but given time...

Between soapstone and pounamu, pounamu wins hands down for both beauty and durability. But for a lot less money, and a lot less time (especially if one owns no expensive equipment) soapstone is not such a bad medium. But yes, it does scratch fairly easily and is quite unforgiving if dropped on a hard surface (my first matau is now in a million pieces when it met the bathroom tiles rather quickly :cry: ).
This is especially true in my case as I (being new) bought a block absolutely riddled with cracks. everything I have since worked from it had to be small because of the cracks! I've bought some better soapstone since then. A nice greeny block and an interesting black. I can't wait to start on that, although I'll have to. I have to carve outside as my girlfriend doesn't appretiate rock dust over the kitchen table (and anything surrounding), and it's dark outside now :( .
All in all though, ol' soapy ain't all that bad.

The last carving I think you mentioned:

It was meant to be a wee tiki head, but ended up more monkey-like. I shall name him Makimaki because of this!