Post #383776 by Tamapoutini on Sat, May 31, 2008 3:12 PM

Heath: Ill take that as a compliment - Ive been aiming for 'stunning simplicity' for the longest time.. :wink:

Timid: Thanks so much for your compliments! Hmmmmm, a red-headed donor for the braids? Ill need to go up to the whare-Paipo and see if I can sweet-talk the wahine into parting (pun intended) with a few.. :D

BenZ: One trip to the P.Office every couple of weeks? Sure, you can start by finishing up that Curly-Lono and sending him over; that'll keep me happy for a fortnight.. :wink:

Toki/Jock: Karere to the Stars! Meeting people through people is always the best way - I think you may have been that 'sign' I was waiting for in this regard. Takata pukenga? (thanks for using the Southern dialect) Getting there - I have my middle name to live up to.. Tamatea = clear-headed/thinking Man, and realise that by putting myself in the public arena as an "expert" comes with certain diplomatic responsibilties. Thankfully our own BenZart has put me in touch with a few of the Ancients and they seem to keep us on track.
As for taking on an apprentice: it has run through my mind but would probably take the form of allowing another to work along side, rather than 'under' me (I can teach 'my' way but perhaps not 'the' way of tikanga/whakairo..). There is a hard-stone carving course at Greymouth Poly that usually produces one or two carvers of note each year; I have always maintained close ties with the school and make an effort to get to know them all. When the time/person is right, it'll happen.. (for use of the workshop Id happily delegate a bit of sanding or perhaps the production of 10 toggles per week as 'payment', :lol: )
Big thanks again for your help/kindness! Och aye! :)

One more day till Im back in the chop-shop - see you tommorrow everyone!