Post #496865 by Babalu on Wed, Dec 2, 2009 11:13 AM

Hey thanks you all...and sorry, it's been hard to get on TC for me lately...

HipHip - I'm very happy that you like your new bowlie! Yes, yes, The Bowl of Paradise, or BOP... We all need one of those "BOP til ya DROP" happenings :)

Tobor64 - Mad Doggie - LOL - Master JoneSey...you's cats are the best! Thanks for the props.

Gman - sure dude, one day I'll clue you into the rabbit madness that floats around in my brain...long story...

Kinny - "CLAYBOY MANSION" :lol:

Sir Grog - It is I whom is not worthy...I have seen those killer Java Bobs that you are going to be selling in the Winter Wonderland Show at the Tonga Hut this month...you ROCK! http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=34394&forum=17&65

Unga - Damn man, you took time out of the game to post!...that's the best darn complement I've had all week. Not sure who your team is, but may they win the Super Bowl!

Thomas - Lelesliz - MP - Master Toes - Amy - G - Mango - Clarita - Banana Bob - 61surf...Thank you , thank you...you guys make me want to go build something - YAY!

Buzz Master and Bowana - It's been great fun having you players over this week...you two are just plain tearing it up! Wait til you folks see what these two fellers have up their sleeves...

Master Notch - Damn right we should get together and carve it up! These are the good ole days brother, let's have some fun!

Lake - I would love to get you over here to the Shop too...That would be a BLAST!

Krooz - Huge thank you to you for going through all these pages! Hell, I don't even remember everything that is on this thread...

Ok, ok this has been one FUN week! I've had Buzzy, Sir B, and Squid over...lot's of stuff going down.

For some time now Squid and I have been having a blast together researching the art of the different regions in Papua New Guinea. This last week, we decided to do something with all of this fun we have been having together...a little collaborating project perhaps?...why sure!

We thought, if we can make some type of joint canvas together, we can come up with some great one off custom carved drum mugs...(BTW - one only need to know Squid to know his addiction to drums)...anyway, we decided that we needed to build, and mold up, some basic shapes to which we could both cast then hack into, or customize in our own different ways. My part in building these little clay canvas' was to design and build the main body part of the drum...The shape that has been on my mind lately comes from the drum pictured below. It is currently being exhibited at the San Diego Art Museum - This drum is a New Guinea (north west coast) and made in the late 19th century. I just felt the shape is so cool and really unusual. By the way, all the drum shapes that you see coming from PNG are meant to represent the human form.

Squid had some killer ideas kicking around for handles for the drum...so he built those up - - together, we were off to the races with molds etc. In the end, we each have a set of plaster molds to make these joint customs. Pictured below are what the castings look like right after we pull them from the molds...They are very basic, and perfect for custom carving and alteration.

Here are the first two custom carved PNG Drum mugs that we pumped out this weekend...my carved mug is on the left side, Squids carving is on the right side...That was a BLAST Squid! I can tell right now that this little project of ours is going to be tons of fun!

Thanks again for bouncing in...stay tuned :)