Post #409923 by GatorRob on Thu, Sep 25, 2008 7:55 AM

I am not going to be one to ever criticize someone's carvings because I do not carve myself. However, I am willing to offer feedback when asked. You've got obvious skills. There's definitely talent there. I can't add much to that Basement Kahuna quote, but I do wholeheartedly agree with it. Dave (Basement Kahuna) is one of the finest tiki carvers around today. Listen to him. Dig through the TC archives and read his posts. And talk to Benzart, GMAN, tikimecula and others and study their work. These guys have mad skills.

Do you see that Tiki on bananabobs signature? That is a mid-century carving that he restored some years ago. The style is fantastic. Very creative and highly stylized. I would LOVE to see someone carve more like that in the Bumatay style. I find that to be more art (eye of the beholder of course) and less "roadside tiki". There's nothing really wrong with the style you're carving in. It has its place in the world. But I don't find it much related to either traditional Polynesian carvings or classic Polynesian Pop. And, as has been said here many times before, that style of carving is a dime a dozen. I see them everywhere in Florida.

Keep carving. Participate in the TC carving forum. Study the classics. Challenge yourself. That's my layman's advice.