Post #317098 by Robin on Sat, Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM

Hi all...I finally got some pictures to post. Whew!

I have been reading and reading these posts and very much enjoying the work, the information...and the fun! Very nice. So there is a bit of a story to go along with these...

This is the first piece I made. This is where I learned my skills didn't match my vision, and the true meaning of reductive work. Actually I worked on two pieces at one time...the other one was worse. I had heard that you should wear your first piece, and then give it away...so I wore it and gave it to the Tasman Sea...no picture!

and the Tasman gave me these back. You can find pieces of Greenstone like this walking the beaches in Hokitika. Yippee!

Any way...I became obsessed, and backed way up and made Tokis...lots of Tokis for Steve....beautiful beautiful NZ jade. You can learn a lot making Tokis. And get to know the jade. I was really lucky.

Then I got to make these. The first one is my favorite. I believe this jade is called snowflake, and a nice piece of it will bring tears to your eyes...honest.

Front

This was a nice way to learn to put a cord through a stone when it mattered if the hole showed, or interfered with the stone or the design. Haven't had a chance to braid it yet.
Back

I tried using a small burr to etch or carve the surfaces after I polished the dark green ones. My photos don't do justice to this stone, or any of them really...it emanates dark green. It's hard to do...no matter how carefully or steadily I tried to hold my hand, I couldn't keep an even line. It seemed like the burr would sink sometimes.

I realize now after looking at this work, and the work on this site, that so far, I am a shaper, not a carver, but I'm getting there...I think.

My next attempt at actually sort of carving something. Koru...my understanding borrowed from the fiddle head of ferns, and represents new beginnings.

This one was a LOT more ambitious...but...I broke it...twice...caught it on a spindle polishing, fixed it sort of, and then threw it across the room using the buffer. This is what was left!
This jade has hard and soft spots in it....and it was difficult to get an even shape...most of the softer parts are gone.

This was next..managed not to break it.

A sort of banana necklace with just a touch of that snow.

And finally, not finished,I'm not sure how to string it yet.
. This one came from a thick slab..about 6X3X1/2 inch. I carved out the back so the light could come through. It's like a beautiful landscape...with silver flecks in it that don't show up in the photo.

So there is some of my stuff...thank you for the encouragement....maybe I'll get to make a Tiki someday.

So I've been back from NZ for two weeks now, and have accumulated some jade....ordered some bits...bought some tools, and thinking about buying some more...like a slab saw. I want to try and cut slabs like Tama does!

You guys are a great bunch of stoners.....