Post #303483 by Paipo on Wed, May 2, 2007 2:09 AM

I really like the moai - the colour on that cab complements the jade very nicely.
Now on to the hei-tiki, which had somehow escaped my attention (probably cause I was away for few days). Tama has covered the bases so I'll try not to repeat his sage advice, but instead chip in a few observations I can offer from my much more limited experience.....

A quick google tells me Transvaal jade is grossularite (grossular garnet) which is a notch or so above jade in hardness but doesn't share its structural quality. Not as forgiving to work with and maybe a bit harder on your tools too? It's always a good idea to do the first version of a design (particularly a tricky one) in a friendly or familiar medium.
Try and get your ink lines a bit cleaner and finer if you can....big thick lines leave too much room for movement of the various elements. I use a fine-tip permanent OHP pen. If you don't get the drawing down 100% on the stone, scrub it off and redraw the piece again. Get your design fine-tuned on paper and cut a template if you have to (I often do). You also have a few straight edges creeping in...fine for a moai, but not so good on a Maori piece, which is nearly always very curvilinear in nature.
The proportions and size of the holes are what make or break a hei-tiki - the entire body revolves around the holes. Likewise, the head revolves around the placement of the eyes. The proportion and balance are fairly consistent and even most contemporary interpretations don't stray too far from the originals. I will reiterate what Tama said about studying the old pieces and trying to imagine the working process of creating holes and grooves. The important thing to remember is the hei-tiki was the pinnacle of Maori neolithic art and there aren't really any shortcuts. You've made a good start with this guy - the basics are all there - but I'd suggest earmarking a nice slab of clean nephrite and starting a new one. Slow and steady wins the race!