Tama - NZ Pounamu/greenstone - Last post for '08! - pg99 - Tiki Carving

T tukotahi Member Wellington Joined: Apr 14, 2008 Posts: 1	T tukotahi Posted posted on Tue, Apr 29, 2008 4:16 PM On 2006-08-30 16:47, Tamapoutini wrote: Kia ora! Io Orana! Aloha! Warmest greetings from New Zealand to all of my kindred tiki-lovers... We have never met, but a couple of months of 'lurking' has found me wanting to introduce myself... My name is Andy Ruskin & I am a fulltime self-employed 'stonesmith' from my home-based workshop on the West Coast of the Sth. Isld, Aotearoa (New Zealand). The 'jade country'... Some of you may have already seen my work for sale on eBay or perhaps on our main NZ auction site, TradeMe. I work almost exclusively with New Zealand 'greenstone'/pounamu (nephrite jade), creating unique, one-off designs; mainly pendants & the occasional small sculpture. Our friend TIKI is one of my 'specialties' & I believe I am gaining a good reputation for quality & originality. (nearing 150 thus far, all different..!!) *I am not simply here to plug my work, but will certainly be using the marketplace forum to point anyone interested towards work that can be purchased. I have deliberately posted my first message (hope thats ok/kosha?, Im a newbie...)here as I intend to put up pictures of 'old' work that I consider to be some of my best; simply for the joy of sharing (& lets be honest, maybe a little 'ego-stroking', haha -appreciation is the artists soul-food :) Happy to discuss jade carving technique if anyone is interested. I also have great appreciation for others' work & have a small but diverse collection of Polynesian tikis, piccies & music that adorn my workshop walls & give daily inspiration... I consider myself a very lucky man to be 'navigating my own waka', hanging out with my young family ('almost' wife & 2 pre-schoolers) in a beautiful part of the world, & supporting it all by doing what I love most, yeehaa!! Pounamu is my muse... Those who have come into contact with this amazing stone will understand these words. She is a unique substance in this world, ideally suited as a material for talisman/pendants due to her extreme toughness & obvious beauty... I am of part-Maori descent, my Iwi being Kai Tahu/ Kati Mamoe, from the very deep southern areas of NZ. Some beautiful pounamu artifacts have been left by my ancestors & I feel that I am picking up a long-forgotten family tradition, and carrying it forward with pride. I label my work as Contemporary Polynesian as I draw inspiration not only from our Maori culture, but from all three Island outposts of Polynesia, and a little in between... Cant promise how often I will be able to chat, busy, busy, but will endeavour to check in at least a couple of times per week. Being fairly 'green' (jade carvers joke :) to all of this I am unsure of how inundated I may become (or not!)... Enough of my yap! Heres a few that Im particularly proud of, hope you enjoy them!!! Back to the 'grind' (another jade carvers joke :) for me... Ka kite, Andy PS: Remember you are viewing these much larger than real-life, please forgive any magnified indiscretions... Big fella with a Hawaiian flava! 2004-6 Overall shape of this represents a rei-puta, or carved whaletooth... 2006 My own personal hei-tiki. Incredibly dark stone, appearing almost black until held to light... 2004 Hei-tiki wearin' a hei-tiki..!! 2006 The Warrior, the Thinker & the Trickster... (sorry about dark pic) 2006 Meditating tiki! Beautiful, man... 2006 [ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-16 02:21 ] [ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-20 04:07 ] [ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-22 03:06 ] [ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-26 03:44 ] Kia Ora Tama, I'm a newbie and have been admiring your beautiful work for some time now. I have a fairly unconventional work/lifestyle (long story!), I work all over the country and sometimes have long periods of downtime, often not knowing what to do with myself! I have always been interested/drawn to Pounamu I have a few river and beach stones that I have found in Haast/Jackson Bay, that I think may actually just be Serpentinite, but I've looked all over the web for information about tools for fashioning nepherite/jade etc and come to a dead end every time! Not much info on how to aquire tools etc either. I have a Dremmel 300 series, but I doubt that is going to cut the mustard ( or is it?)I might have to get a tungsten bit and see. I have no experience at all at carving, but fairly good with my hands and pretty creative (and part Maori like you!)I was just wondering if you could give me a brief inventory list of basic gear/where to obtain etc just for a novice starter such as myself. I did look briefly at the nsk dental handpeice you have, there were some for sale on ebay but man they were expensive! Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated my cuz! Ka Kite, Tukotahi.

On 2006-08-30 16:47, Tamapoutini wrote:
Kia ora! Io Orana! Aloha!
Warmest greetings from New Zealand to all of my kindred tiki-lovers... We have never met, but a couple of months of 'lurking' has found me wanting to introduce myself...

My name is Andy Ruskin & I am a fulltime self-employed 'stonesmith' from my home-based workshop on the West Coast of the Sth. Isld, Aotearoa (New Zealand). The 'jade country'...

Some of you may have already seen my work for sale on eBay or perhaps on our main NZ auction site, TradeMe. I work almost exclusively with New Zealand 'greenstone'/pounamu (nephrite jade), creating unique, one-off designs; mainly pendants & the occasional small sculpture. Our friend TIKI is one of my 'specialties' & I believe I am gaining a good reputation for quality & originality. (nearing 150 thus far, all different..!!)

*I am not simply here to plug my work, but will certainly be using the marketplace forum to point anyone interested towards work that can be purchased. I have deliberately posted my first message (hope thats ok/kosha?, Im a newbie...)here as I intend to put up pictures of 'old' work that I consider to be some of my best; simply for the joy of sharing (& lets be honest, maybe a little 'ego-stroking', haha -appreciation is the artists soul-food :) Happy to discuss jade carving technique if anyone is interested.

I also have great appreciation for others' work & have a small but diverse collection of Polynesian tikis, piccies & music that adorn my workshop walls & give daily inspiration...

I consider myself a very lucky man to be 'navigating my own waka', hanging out with my young family ('almost' wife & 2 pre-schoolers) in a beautiful part of the world, & supporting it all by doing what I love most, yeehaa!!

Pounamu is my muse... Those who have come into contact with this amazing stone will understand these words. She is a unique substance in this world, ideally suited as a material for talisman/pendants due to her extreme toughness & obvious beauty...

I am of part-Maori descent, my Iwi being Kai Tahu/ Kati Mamoe, from the very deep southern areas of NZ. Some beautiful pounamu artifacts have been left by my ancestors & I feel that I am picking up a long-forgotten family tradition, and carrying it forward with pride. I label my work as Contemporary Polynesian as I draw inspiration not only from our Maori culture, but from all three Island outposts of Polynesia, and a little in between...

Cant promise how often I will be able to chat, busy, busy, but will endeavour to check in at least a couple of times per week. Being fairly 'green' (jade carvers joke :) to all of this I am unsure of how inundated I may become (or not!)...

Enough of my yap! Heres a few that Im particularly proud of, hope you enjoy them!!!

Back to the 'grind' (another jade carvers joke :) for me...

Ka kite, Andy

PS: Remember you are viewing these much larger than real-life, please forgive any magnified indiscretions...

Big fella with a Hawaiian flava! 2004-6

Overall shape of this represents a rei-puta, or carved whaletooth... 2006

My own personal hei-tiki. Incredibly dark stone, appearing almost black until held to light... 2004

Hei-tiki wearin' a hei-tiki..!! 2006

The Warrior, the Thinker & the Trickster... (sorry about dark pic) 2006

Meditating tiki! Beautiful, man... 2006

[ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-16 02:21 ]

[ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-20 04:07 ]

[ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-22 03:06 ]

[ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2008-04-26 03:44 ]

Kia Ora Tama, I'm a newbie and have been admiring your beautiful work for some time now. I have a fairly unconventional work/lifestyle (long story!), I work all over the country and sometimes have long periods of downtime, often not knowing what to do with myself! I have always been interested/drawn to Pounamu I have a few river and beach stones that I have found in Haast/Jackson Bay, that I think may actually just be Serpentinite, but I've looked all over the web for information about tools for fashioning nepherite/jade etc and come to a dead end every time! Not much info on how to aquire tools etc either. I have a Dremmel 300 series, but I doubt that is going to cut the mustard ( or is it?)I might have to get a tungsten bit and see. I have no experience at all at carving, but fairly good with my hands and pretty creative (and part Maori like you!)I was just wondering if you could give me a brief inventory list of basic gear/where to obtain etc just for a novice starter such as myself. I did look briefly at the nsk dental handpeice you have, there were some for sale on ebay but man they were expensive! Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated my cuz! Ka Kite, Tukotahi.

Post #377023 by tukotahi on Tue, Apr 29, 2008 4:16 PM

Cant promise how often I will be able to chat, busy, busy, but will endeavour to check in at least a couple of times per week. Being fairly 'green' (jade carvers joke :) to all of this I am unsure of how inundated I may become (or not!)...