Post #452461 by Lake Surfer on Thu, May 7, 2009 10:39 PM

Settling back into the groove here at home after 4 great days in SoCal.

Tiki, surfing, sunburn and good friends made it hard to say goodbye to the West Coast on Tuesday.

**I want to send out a big thank you to everyone who took home a new Lake Tiki creation at Bamboo Ben's Nooner!

Your purchase helped fund a much needed vacation for the wahine and I!

I hope you enjoy your new tiki art, and welcome you to come see what I'll have with me at this year's Tiki Oasis.

Thanks also to everyone who stopped by to say hello! Your compliments on my tiki creations are much appreciated!

It was great seeing old friends and acquaintances and meeting so many new faces!

Ben and Vicki, thanks for putting the great event together! It was a great way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon!**

So, I'm into transition mode here at the homestead. The weather has warmed and I'm able to venture out of the studio more to work outside.

I've got some logs and boards ready to go and it is time to shift into high gear for the busy summer event season!

First up though, was a project that has been sitting in the corner of the garage since late March.

Mega Marq!

He's lost about half his weight now that he's dry, and the repair work I did on the left eye worked out great. That eye was very wet when I carved it and it all but crumbled apart. When doing some sanding today, the smell of the wood became familiar and I'm 99.9% sure this is Basswood.

The weather was beautiful, and I cranked away at this guy. Sanded, torched and he's ready for stain Friday. Temps in the high 70's will make it a perfect day for finishing work.

I'm going to add some detail carving to the nose and head before staining. After that, he'll be standing guard in the backyard.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2009-05-07 22:41 ]