BENZART's Carvings Second original thread

This one is looking awesome. I can imagine how excited you must be. When they start out looking this good and we all know your attention to detail, I am pumped to see more!

Oh man, that's the ticket! A 4 foot benzart?!?!?! that's where it's at!

That carving is looking FINE ben, thanks for posting the pic!

Benz

just off of a plane from Paris...man is my head swimming as though i had a few chichis...but no...mojitos solamente for me in the cultural capital of the world...

this is going to be stunning when it's all said and done with my man...totally coool!
steady as she goes Lono!

thanks for sharing once more!

Yeah I guess I kinda finally figured out why you were not carving the big stuff anymore. What ever you do Ben, be careful, and take it easy with these. Backs are not quite as mendable as finger cuts are......We all want you at the Hukilau in full form to show these things off.

woo hoo looks really good!! you done yet? hurry up I wanna see!! When your done we can trade I will send you to a massage therapist free of charge you send me the mask, hell I will even pay shipping......I need to learn how to put those smiley faces on here. Another amazing carving Benz.

Can't wait to see this sucker done.

First thanks for all the comments on the big Lono. FLOUNDER, Nice to have you back hangi'round these parts and gining your 3 cents worth

Ken, you may end up with ALL my carvings if the massage therapist is any good, but you gotta throw in a lamp or 2.
Kooch, Welcome home.. Funny, 1 day he quits doing tiki art and the next day he's off to gay Pairee. Thanks for the props, see what you miss when you go away??

Polynesiac, thanks, I just hope I can finish this guy, it is much more taxing than the small guys.

TikiTammi, thanks, I Am pumped up too. These logs heve been hollering at me for over 6 months and I could put it off NO Longer, I had to do it Thanks for the kind words. I'll work on this guy more tomorrow, meanwhile I had to finish this Maori Taiaha up since he was so close.
Here is the final pic of the Taiaha Pendant. I put a mahogany stain on it and a few coats of lacquer. Hope you like it.

[ Edited by: Benzart on 2005-06-13 19:29 ]

That is sublime, Ben. The swirls are dizzying in their perfection.

Thanks Raffer, This was such a pleasure to carve, I didn't get bitten Once and we sat down and had a great time talkin bout the old ways and days.

I Love it great work benz....

Hi Ben - what a great piece of work. It is a shame about your back - I loved looking at all your big carvings. I had a bit of a wake up call this last week - I finished my big Easter Islander commissioned tiki and was a little over enthusiastic in trying to lift him into a trailer by myself - well this has left me unable to carve for the last seven days - which was a real bummer because we had a rockabilly festival over here called "Wintersun" and all the other artists were gathered doing their striping and painting and I had to be a bystander and just sit at a bar and chat to people about my stuff. So now I know I am not superman and will get help with lifting my tikis.

On 2005-06-13 18:36, Raffertiki wrote:
The swirls are dizzying in their perfection.

Ditto for me . Love it Ben!!

Ben,

Looking at all the microscopic detail in your mini tikis makes my wrists and eyes hurt. You have inspired me to someday carve a mini. In the meanwhile keep pumping them out, they are looking stellar.

I can't wait to get mine.

Will

Thanks Kirby, nice to hear from my fellow artists,
Marcus, thanks and I'm glad you took the time to delvinto some of my history. Sorry about your back, hope it's better by now. One of the hard things about carving is that you Always want to do bigger pieces and it seems there is never anyone around when you need to move it and you see what happens when we try to be macho about it. Been there, done that and still have the t-shirt as do most carvers.
Rodeo, thanks, but don't go getting all dizzy on me now.
Will, funny it maks mine hurt too, thanks. Let me know when you're ready to do a mini and I'll help you out if you need it.

Let's see...Awesome, no. Uh, Spectacular, not it either. How about Magical, getting closer. Ok I got it Mystical thats it. Totally mystical man!
Dig!
Chongolio in awe!

-- I believe that our Heavenly Father invented the monkey because he was disappointed in man."
... Mark Twain

Come explore http://www.lost-isle.com

Simply stunning

Chongolio, thanks a bunch and you to Thantos. You guys now how to butter an old man up.
I finished the lacquer plus a dab of black stain.
Here is the totally complete taiaha pendant.






I just received a replacement reciprecating carver handpiece for my broken one so I will be carving more this week.

Beautiful!! The black accents really set it off. Someone on the list is going to be very happy :wink:

WOW Ben! Man, if you could do that on ivory (illegal in the U.S., I think), or bone.....WOWZA, you could make a lotta clams. Just beyond words. Who is the lucky one that gets it? I wonder if they will remain unanimous.

[ Edited by: Jungle Trader on 2005-06-18 19:35 ]

Truely a masterpiece. What else can be said?
Thanks Benz for the continuis insperation.

Ben- How do you keep outdoing yourself? It looks like the eyes are studying me when I look at them! The other detail is awesome too. Again as always, your work is exceptional!

Wonderful work...and Sam has fallen under
the spell of the eye!

Absolutely fantastic! I can't believe you can take a subject so "unreal" and make it look so real and full of personality. Great work!

Ben, have you been watching the Sci-fi channel for inspiration??? :lol: Or maybe I've been watching too much Sci-fi.

Thanks Moki, It just looked not quite finished and now I am Happy with it. He Does look a bit scary.

Jungle Trader, I have been wanting to get som large pieces of cow bone for carving. Thats about all they use now in NZ for their bone carvings. Thanks. Whoever is next on the list gets this one. I think Dimethheos would be next for a maori pendant. I'll have to find him

Rodeo, Thanks, All of your comments are also inspiration for me.

Sam, I think Conga is right, you are stuck under a "spell" from one of these guys. This ones eyes will do it if you aren't careful. You know how the art is, you Always want to make the next one better. Thanks for the props.

Conga thanks, you wouldn't be under that spell yourself now would you??

Finky, it's easy, you just let the little bugger carve his own self. I start it and they tell me what to do. like I thought I was done last week but "No" he said, "Think about it" he said and so I did and when I added the black, he was happy and he let me go.

Ona, I think we Both are out there Somewhere in the haze. Thanks, love that guy you posted.

If anyone sees Dimetheos, tell him he is nextfor this style pendant if he wants it.

See when you wear that , the eyes will follow you... Great looking stuff!

Awesome detail man. Those swirls are so perefect, and the black highlights and the stain set it off really well. Love it!

That bone carving idea got me thinking - reckon you could carve jade?(known in NZ as greenstone) I have a piece from NZ, only little, just a blob really. About an inch long and an average of about half an inch wide. What do you reckon?

a work of art man! awesome!

You are always and forever DA MAN, Ben! Incredible stuff. I have always been fully amazed...

Incredible! But that describes everything you do. Man, I was thinking how much you've taught us and shared with us in just a short time. You keep us inspired and I love it!

What a gaze that pendant has. I can appreciate the difficulty of applying paint like that, especially that small. Beautiful! And you're right - what more could you do with that one?

Aaron

Thantos, just what I need, more eyes following me, ThanksI'm sure I won't wear it long.
Hewey, Thanks for the comps. I have diamond and carbide bits so I guess I could carve jade too. 1" X 1/2" is kinda small, but worth a try..
Kooch, I'm gonna wear you guys out with this one, glad you like it
BasementKahuna, You were among the first if not The first TCr to post comments on my work even before I started back carving again. It's great to hear more from youfor a chane. What a Long strange trip it's been, Thanks so much for all the inspirationall this time! HappyHappyHappy
8Ft Tiki, It has certInly been a two way streetwith me I think getting the most inspiration out of the deal, Thanks.
Aaron, what can I say to one of our star students of tiki carving, I know you speak from experience. I could do lots more to him but he is at the top of the hill now and anything else done to him would start a Fast downhill slide. They say "Its the last cut or stroke that ruines the piece" and the trouble is figuring when to stop before that spot.
Thanks for your props Aaron.
Its Monday morning and I will be carving in a little while and will take update shots as I go today so you can see how the recriprocating carver works.

If you're up to it and I know the list is long and I'll gladly wait, can you put me down for a bone carving?

I might join the cue too. I will PM ya.

Ben, your stuff is just the Katz PJ's. I aspire to own a little piece of it myself one day.

Thanks Jungle Trader, You are on the list for the first bone carving, now where to find a bone..
Hewey I have you on the list too, thank you.
Foamy, I have 3 katz and do you know None of them wear PJ's? Thanks for the props.

Here is the latest update on the palm log and pix of the recriprocarver. It is like having a small jack-hammer with a chisel on the end of it in your hand. It really removes a Lot of wood in a hurry
Here is the tool hooked up to and powered by an old fordham flexshaft tool








Not a lot but it is getting there.

I want one .. really really want one!!!

Oh and Ben, you carve better with one hand on a camera than most do with 2 hands..

More pictures!! drool....
Hope it's going easy for you.
Moki & 'Ona

ps. How big of a bone do you need. We bought a really big beef leg bone for my sisters dog for Christmas. It was huge. Of course the dog buried it in her flowers. Ha Ha

Nice Ben! Have not tried one of those bad boys yet, but did take a swing at an air chisel once..............Looking good.

G.

Awesome Ben. I can't wait to see this one. I have some cured Pine and larger Palm waiting for the 100% moisture to calm down. Please Keep posting the progress pics. These are awesome indeed sir.

I've got to see one of them thar air chisels in action. I just don't see how it would work without kicking back at ya. I'm sure it works n' all, but...gotta SEE it!
Hey has anyone tried video in a forum? I know that model camera your usin' Benzy has a video mode!! I doubt you can save mpeg at shutterfly though. Just a thought.

Can't wait to see this thing when its done. It's turning out awesome...

Ben - that carving is looking great! I love seeing all the little carving gadgets you use to create your masterpieces. Happy to see you carvng some big stuff again...can't wait to see him when he's all done

Ben- judging from those pics, you make that carving look as easy as taking the shell off of a giant walnut. Great work and pics!

One of these days when I try a long headpiece again, I'm going to reference these pictures (and probably plagerize you) but only to learn from the master.

Rodeo Thanks but I really Do need both hands to carve. Maybe you will end up with one?

Ona tiki and Moki, Thanks, I will be posting more pix tomorrow. I'll send a tikitowel for the tiki drool. It is going fairly easy, not as bad as I thought. Big dog bone?? I'll have to go on the NZ sites and find out what bones they are carving now. I Think it is the hip which if your dog had it first would be pre-carved. Thanks a bunch.

TikiG, you should try it, I'm sure you could do it
Thanks
Thank you too McTiki, you shouldn't have to wait very long on the plams, just go get'em.

Thanks Surfintiki, I'm sure if you go down to your local Woodcraft store they will demo one for you. My camera is an Old Nikon coolpix 950 made Before the movie camera addition was available.

Thanks PolynesianPop. I can't wait to see it too. I wish it would hurry up!!

Polynesiac, Thanks, glad you're liking it. The only reason I carve is to be able to buy tools so I can carve Faster and easier to make more money to buy more tools.

Sam, Thank you, actually shelling a giant wannut would be harder than carving this guy.

Raffer, thanks for the compliment and go ahead and copy away. I don't mind at all.
The plan is to havethese Big Guys at Hukilau for Tiki-Kiliki to use as decorations. Except for a couple more pieces I have promised, most of my work between now and Hukilau has to be for Hukilau. I'm not sure how I will sell these BigBenz guys, I may have to start a whole new list.
Thanks everyone.

On 2005-06-22 17:38, Benzart wrote:
I'll have to go on the NZ sites and find out what bones they are carving now.

They pretty much stick to beef bones now. Traditionally the Moaris carved whale bone, but it's seldom used anymore (for all the obvious reasons.)

Thanks Kate, I'm pretty sure it's beef bone too, but what I Don't know is weather it is the Hip bone, leg, or which witch bone they do carve. Somewhere I saw some info on it and I forgot it and where it was.Thanks