A-A… Some Stuff I'm Working On

From the first time I saw Sam Gambino’s “Hypno-Tiki” I wanted to carve it. I checked with Sam, who being the nice guy that he is, said “no problem”.

This isn’t an exact replica. I’m finishing up a Leroy inspired series of carvings, and this is the last. That’s “Reloy on your left, Sam’s Hypno-Tiki on your right, and a strangely morphed “Hypno-Leroy” in the middle. I just felt like doing something fun this time.

Here it is with lines applied. The log is the familiar “Reloy” shape.

Using a pull saw for the mouth cuts lately.

After one lunchtime carving session in the park…

I only doing rough cuts with the chisels. Burrs will do the clean up.

Starting a full body Lono, barely got started…

More pix as carving progresses.

Cheers!

A-A

"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua 2009-08-03 21:31 ]

looks like you're coming along nicely, AA!! can't wait to see them finished. i've been slacking lately on working on anything, but hopefully will get some time really soon to get back at it. anxious to see the progress!

Hey how did you get my big max chainsaw???
LOL
That tiki looks great so far....

Looking good Aaron! Hey, I've been meaning to ask - what park do you carve at? Maybe I'll join you for lunch there sometime...

Thank for Posting Pic's AA. I am going to try doing some carving very soon. I just got some chisels, grinder, and a chainsaw for my birthday. I just need to find me a log. I really enjoy your work and I get alot out of the step by step photo's. Keep up the great work!!!
Later,
Scott

On 2005-04-20 14:19, The Sperm Whale wrote:
Thank for Posting Pic's AA. I am going to try doing some carving very soon. I just got some chisels, grinder, and a chainsaw for my birthday. I just need to find me a log. I really enjoy your work and I get alot out of the step by step photo's. Keep up the great work!!!
Later,
Scott

Your birthday sounds like my last year's christmas.

The mouth cut on the Hypnotiki looks really clean. What kind of magic pull saw are you using? And hurry up with more progress pics.

Mahalo Guys,

I've been working on a few other tikis based on the "Reloy" theme. Last varnish coats went on those yesterday, so pix will be up soon.

5-0: You know you want to carve something, let's see some work. You're too good, no slacking allowed! :)

Thanatos: I'm ashamed to admit that my son got his first chainsaw before I got mine. I love your lightning-fast tikis. We're all looking forward to great things from you.

PolyPop: Sounds great, I carve there just about every day. It's Harvard Park in Irvine at the corner of Walnut and Harvard. We should plan a long lunch break sometime. It's right across the street from my work, but I usually have just enough time to wolf down lunch and get 30 or 40 minutes of carving in. Call me or PM & let's do it.

Spermy/Scott: Just jump in and post as you go. Everybody will help you along. I know you're local. We'll talk at Oasis. Maybe we can get a carving session going sometime with some of the other locals and we can all share carving tips (hint, hint... PolyPop???).

Raffertiki: Er, yeah. That was a set-up shot, of course! That was after lots of gouge work (see the large gouge in the other pic). I really like the control you get with the pull saw. I like to make a couple of cuts then just chip out in between with the chisel - it takes out lots of wood real quick and saves some time. Then I clean everything up with the gouges.

"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2005-04-20 15:57 ]

'Bout time AA, you been slackin again?? Those look really great. You got us hooked, now finish the things already!

very cool aaron! I like your melding of Mr Sam GAmbino and leroy.

I too was impressed with your pullsaw ability - thanks for sharing the gouge secret. :)

I'd love to partake in your lunchtime carvings, but I'm a little far. bummer.

Hey A-A - that is looking great! My wife was commenting on how neat and precise the cuts are too. I can't wait to see the finished product. Please keep us posted!

http://www.samgambino.com

Man that looks good. Glad to see you posting pics of your works.

Cant wait to see them done, keep those progress shots coming. I always find them so useful.

Aaron, How do you like your Flex-cut Chisels? Been thinling about picking some up. They seem to be a little cheaper that the Henry Taylor's I have been Buying.

Benzart: Thanks, but... check my other post... Been busy, just haven't unveiled 'em till now! Hah! :) I'll post lots of progress pix on these ones though. The Lono's just a warm up for the BIG log.

Polynesiac: If I lived in Pedro, I'm sure we'd be hanging out carving all the time. Our wives would be so pissed!

Sam: Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. And I'll probably take you up on doing that exact replica of Hypno-Tiki later on. I'll try my best to do it justice!

Rodeo: Thanks! I find 'em useful too! That's where I pick up all my free advice.

Tikimecula: I've not tried the Henry Taylors, but the Flexcuts seem pretty nice. I don't think you'd go wrong, but can't really give you a good comparison. We could hook up sometime if you want to try them out first, no problem.

A-A

"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2005-04-20 22:57 ]

Aaron, what splendid work.

You are an amazing bloke...to just be able to turn on and shut off in such a short while is hard.

I love the new tiki. Excellant work!

On 2005-04-20 15:53, Aaron's Akua wrote:
PolyPop: Sounds great, I carve there just about every day. It's Harvard Park in Irvine at the corner of Walnut and Harvard. We should plan a long lunch break sometime.

Well alrighty then! Maybe we can meet up next week since I'm kinda tied up with work stuff this week. I'll call you after the weekend.

On 2005-04-20 15:53, Aaron's Akua wrote:
Spermy/Scott: Just jump in and post as you go. Everybody will help you along. I know you're local. We'll talk at Oasis. Maybe we can get a carving session going sometime with some of the other locals and we can all share carving tips (hint, hint... PolyPop???).

Regarding the carving party -- Danny (Tiki Diablo) and I talked about this briefly recently. I have a plan in my head for another Carving Party with a "twist" so to speak. After Oasis I might just put this plan in motion. I'll keep everyone posted here on TC.

**Poly-Pop ***

He who dies with the most broken mugs WINS!

[ Edited by: polynesianpop on 2005-04-21 09:58 ]

Hey,
Let me know about lunch, I might come up. We could do the carving seminar at my place again. The last one was really fun. Let me know.
Mahalo,
Al

A carving party sounds great!!!

Gigantalope: Thanks so much! Yeah, I just turn off the cell phone & get a quick carve in. I only do the “no brainer” carving on the lunch breaks though. Anything I need to think hard about gets done on the weekend.

PolyPop: Yeah, let’s talk next week – sounds great. I’ve got major deadlines at work right now, and the wahine and I leaving Friday for “Lost Wages”. Be back Monday, & I’ll call you then.

The carving party sound great. The last one looked legendary! I know there’s lots of good local carvers around here these days. We all need to meet up, break out the workmates, & let the chips fly, then pound some grog & BS a little. Or we could all bring our chainsaw to Oasis. I’m sure there’s plenty of palm trees around there! Seriously, just name a time & place and I’m there.

Al: Lunch carving anytime. Maybe you, Adrian & I can all schedule a long lunch sometime & meet up. Sounds like a plan.

Spermy: Come to the carving party. We’ll give you the grand initiation. I’m not sure what that is, but it sounds good! Sharpen your chisels!

"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2005-04-21 12:10 ]

Carving party sounds fun! Post the info and i will be there.

Sounds great! Let's have it at my place.

carving party would be great! i'd love to learn some tips from some of you that've been doing this longer and finally meet some more fellow tc folks

Ok this sucks. Your brother in Florida wants to come to a carving party.....
1 round trip plane ticket 700.00
Shipping of tools 300.00

Getting arrested for smuggling rum and chisels on a plane, priceless

Carving Party! Will there be lots of rum to go along with those sharp chisels?

I'm deferrng all carving party questions to PolyPop & Alnshelly - this is their gig. However, anything I can do to help out or contribute, let me know & I'm on it.

Now, we're off to Vegas for the weekend.

To be continued....

Aloha,

A-A

Wipes tears of utter envy.

We are on the other coast. Maybe Ben and Gary could sponsor such a fine gathering from this coast and compare pics from each!

That would be soooo Kewel! Sounds like such fun!

Well, here it is all roughed out & ready for burrs & sanding. This one will go out to a certain cool and very generous surf cat who lives in Santa Cruz. Shhhhh…. It’s a secret.

"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua 2006-10-25 12:43 ]

Looks great..... Cant wait to see the eye

A.A.,

I'm on to you.
I'll see you on Saturday.
Great cyclops tiki.

Will

Loving that latest tiki. You got a nice clean style. Will tops when finished.

That tiki's turning out beatifully, A-A. Man! Can't wait to see it finished...

http://www.samgambino.com

[ Edited by: Sam Gambino on 2005-05-10 20:43 ]

I have looked at it twice today... It looks great and I cannot wait to see the eye ( why am I focused on it, in less It has got me)

Aaron, Another fine example of your amazing, precise, clean lines of detail. You do Sam proud. that is going to be a cool crazy dude. Can't wait to see him finished.

Thanks Hewey, Sam, Thanatos, & Ben. I’m thinking of how I can finish this one a little differently than the others and experiment a bit too. I’d like to highlight some of the features with paint (just a tad for accent), but leave the beautiful natural ficus grain everywhere else. So here’s some questions for anyone who knows:

The wood is very dry. Will I need to spot primer it first? Or can I do the first clear coat or so to seal the wood, then paint over that before applying more clear coats?

And what type of paint to use? Acrylic?

I’m itching to finish this tiki, ‘cause I’m going to Santa Cruz this weekend, and wanted to give it to Will personally. But with Oasis last weekend, followed by Mother’s Day at the Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach, and now Santa Cruz, Aloha Grille & SCTikishack this weekend, its going to have to wait a bit longer. That’s cool, though. I hate to rush a piece. I want to really do this one up right for Will.

Thanks for the comps everybody, especially at this “ugly” rough out stage! I promise a smooth finished piece when it’s finally done.

Mahalo,

A-A

Yeah right, I wish my finished tiki's looked as good as you " ugly roughed out stage"

Keep em coming.
And tell your boss you need longer lunches!

Aaron, that is going to be one cool hypno tiki. I do'nt blame you for wanting to do a 3-D version of Sam's painting. Any plans to do a small pendant version? If yes, sign me up for one.

Depending on what kind of finish and stain you use the sealer can be different types. or none at all. You can use dyes that take No pre sealer, or water based stains that need a water based sealer. or oil based stains that take oil sealers. Just make sure to use the same type through out the process. Good luck and I'm sure you will end up with a dynamite piece. Go For it

Pail Paris told me this one, get some paint tint and mix it into a clear stain...? They sell it at your home depots.... Thats what I used on the Pirtiki's head...
Cant wait!

AA-
I'm lookin to do something similar soon. I'm going to use Fine art-oil paint, dilluted with turpentine, right against the wood, then seal it 3-4 days later after it dries. I like using the turps, because you can dillute the color to whatever transluscent effect you want, so it can be subtle color, or heavy on the color.
I've done it before, and it works great, but haven't tried sealing it with varnish over it yet.

so many choices given. Aaron is always up to something different and is willing to try new things. That is why we have to check up with him often. I think that it is cool you are taking Sam's work to the next level. Sam should be happy.

Aaron-
The HypnoTiki Kicks Ass!!! I can't wait to see it finished!!! I think you have the right idea about not rushing to get it finished. A true masterpiece takes time, work, and thought!!! It still looks awesome the way it is. Keep up the great work!!
Later,
Scott

That is sooooo cool looking and I can't believe you did it on your lunch breaks! I'm a spoiled brat with a studio in my backyard that I procrastination going to.

That's awesome inspiration to get me back to work. I've been lazy since Oasis.

I agree that Sam's stuff looks cool in 3-D. There's so damn much talent here on TC, I have enough ideas for 20 years!

Ugh...back to work for Beachin!

Thanks Rodeo, but you're too humble. How's the work coming? I never saw the finished bench. Did I miss it? And all the giant cedar poles?

Mahalo, Swampfire. Sorry, I just can't carve that small. And I feel drawn in the other direction - toward big, Big, BIG tikis! For some reason I've suddenly gotten a pretty long list going, but you're welcome to jump on if you like, as long as you're not in a hurry. If you're looking for a nice pendant, there's Benzart, of course (no intro required), and also Finkdaddy and Aloha Station who are doing some really top notch pendants these days. Sam gets all the credit for this design - I'm just happy to try to carve it. But thank you for the comps.

Ben, Thanatos & Surfintiki - thanks for all the advice. My idea really is to keep it simple. The majority of this tiki will be natural grain with clear coat only. I've fallen in love with this wood, weird spaulted grain and all. I just want to paint the eye and maybe the teeth a solid glossy white so they stand out (don't want the grain to show through here). Then I'll carve the crazy spiral eyes with a "v" chisel, and fill the "v" lines in with red or blue for effect (it must be "hypnotic"). I just don't want the paint to run or spread, so I thought I'd do 1 or 2 clear coats of polyurethane or clear laquer over the whole tiki first, then paint in the eyes (& maybe the teeth) the way I want them to look, then just apply the clear coats over that the way I normally would. I was just wondering if the clear coat would smear the paint or have trouble sticking to the poly, or anything else like that. That's my plan for now, but that may change too. I'll kick your ideas around for awhile.

teaKEY and Scott, mahalo for the comps! I'm early on in my hopefully long carving career, and I just want to try out lots of different things, materials, methods, etc. I'd hate to get stuck with a "style" at this stage! It's all fun.

Kim, I was hoping to meet you at Oasis, but never did. I only met about 200 other TC members, though. I'd love to do art for a living - yes you are spoiled! Keep up the great work.

A-A

Aaron

I usually only go for traditional style carvings but this one is very cool.

Nice touch and nice lines.

Dig the one eye as well, haven't seen that yet.

On 2005-04-21 12:03, Aaron's Akua wrote:
The carving party sound great. The last one looked legendary! I know there’s lots of good local carvers around here these days. We all need to meet up, break out the workmates, & let the chips fly, then pound some grog & BS a little.

Seriously, just name a time & place and I’m there.

Ok!

Those are really clean lines Aaron. It's guys like you that make me think long and hard before picking up any chisels!

Much thanks, Flounder. I've been leaning toward the trditional stuff myself, but I couldn't resist doing a take on Sam's painting.

PolyPop, thanks for pulling the party together with Al. And I'm pretty much crushed that I can't make it. As discussed, maybe this could become a regular, rotating thing. Let's kick it around some. In the mean time have a great carving party and make sure to document it well here on the pages of TC.

Seamus, you're making me think long & hard about attempting a concrete mold! But I think I will!

I just got back from Santa Cruz, & I'll be sure to post some road trip pix soon.

Mahalo,

A-A

Looks great Aaron, can't wait to see him completed. Next carving party's at my place, I'll see you all there! (wear a jacket :lol:)