Post #444232 by TikiMango on Wed, Apr 1, 2009 7:34 PM

So I made the move from Los Angeles to Florida. I am still living out of bags, and searching for things that I can't find, very frustrating. Since I am still looking for work, I had to think of something cheap to occupy my time, and had a hard choice of spending portions of my nest egg on canvas, brushes and paints, or break down and finally try to get serious about carving. After being here for a few weeks now, and seeing the plethora of available palm logs it was a no brainer what to buy.

I was able to disassemble my very first entertainment system (dear old dad doesn't throw anything away), and reuse the concrete cinder blocks and 2x12 to construct a saw horse or work station for my carving space. For the record, three stacked cinder blocks feels like a really good working height. I also found a nice furniture dolly for $15 at Harbor Freight which works nice. I was also able to get my hands on a 3ft palm log. I have no idea what flavor of palm it is, but it seems to be carving nice. So I started my first palm, here's where I got after a couple of hours.

Not sure if I am going for any particular style or look, I think I'm just channeling whatever or whoever I can. I had forgotten how intense the FL sun can be, and managed to burn myself real good. I look like the typical tourist now, but I know in no time I will have that proud Florida badge of honor, the obligatory flip-flop tan lines on my feet! Yeah! It's been too long. And here's where the first day ended. I sort of like the scars and battle wounds on this piece of wood, just not sure how much I can keep.