Conga....Wisconsin stuff!

Congatiki,
Keep following the wood, it will be interesting to see where it takes you.
JP

[ Edited by: JohnnyP 2005-12-26 12:02 ]

thank you my Michigan friend...some form of tiki is starting to emerge....


I am beginning to feel confident...for the first time...that I will wind up where I intended to
be...

Conga, your man is Looking Great! Starting to resemble the Rapanui Kava Kava man, way to go.

thanks for noticing Ben...he is patterned after the Moai Kava Kava...I always thought that was a
cool style...but as you can see my little feller is better fed

the raised strip along the back is going to be an exposed spinal column...here's another shot...
sorry for the decidedly non-tiki memorabilia in the background...exotic stuff in the tiki lounge...
Packers and Rock n roll stuff in the basement

mucho work to be done in clean-up carving...sanding...stain...etc....see ya' in a couple weeks...
having fun with the new tools.

Conga,

Looks like you hit that one out of the ball park. It is very similar to the pics you directed me to. Way to go. Were the legs difficult? I can't wait to see how you do the spine. He has a great profile and a really cool body pose/shoulder roll. I can't wait to see him in another few days.

-Gman

The wood is taking you to a really cool place. He's looking good!
JP

i really like the facial profile. His chin is very nice.

Great work there conga. I'm looking forward to seeing all done up!

thanks Loki...Surfintiki...JP and GMan...your comments inspire me to push on...when you "make the
turn" on a carving doesn't it seem that you can't stay away...that whenever you have a spare 10
minutes you have to grab the chisels and keep digging! Really appreciate the comps cuz I questioned
how "well received" this guy would be....althought I had an ideal that Johnny P would dig him.

Aloha Conga Brah!
Looking good cuz! I love these Ki'i from easter island! Most people, Like myself usually just do Moai but This guy really looks great! Cant wait to see the completed version! Keep carving bruddah!!!

Malama Pono!

Conga, I'm really just getting into the copy of "Oceanic Arts" that I finally got this Christmas. It's giving me lots more insight into what you've been doing the last few months. The ancestral figure, the Kava Kava, all looking great. I've got a few bookmarked for myself now.

appreciate the kind words Kaha Ki'i and A-A...it's always fun to do something a little different....
a bit challenging to keep digging in when you still don't see where you are going...if you know what
I mean. The pics in the Oceanic Art books are great...and the real inspiration comes from all
the great carvers on TC...you know...it's always "one more little area before I go to bed"....or"this is a little rough"...A-A would do it better! Thanks for checking in....the Kava Kava man
is assuming a life of his own...he's starting to scare me.

Aloha Conga! Your carvings are really looking nice. I love the way you can visualize what you want to do long before you actually do it. I can't do that to save my life. I kind of just go in blindfolded and pray for the best.

My new years resolution (actually, one of many) is to get back to the carving. I know DawnTiki and a few others on my to-do list would like that too. Looking at your work has givin me the carving itch again. Mahalo nui!

The Kava Kava Moai man has been a favorite of mine. Looks good and I noticed that you changed his eyes. I really liked the round eyes, kind of reminded me of another stlye tiki.

hey Teakey...yea I really like the Kava Kava man...and once I got started I found a number of
other web images that I hadn't seen earlier...showing several variations of the same theme...some
with round eyes and others without. I felt I needed to slim the eyes a little to deepen the
"dish effect" of the circle around the eyes. Hard to explain...but changing the eyes took a lot
of thought. I'm not sure which I like best...but for now...I guess I'm stuck. As you well know...
he is much better fed than most of the Kava Kava that we see. You know..Wisconsin boy....lots of
cheeze and taters. Thanks for checking in.

[ Edited by: congatiki 2006-01-03 16:26 ]

Conga, he's lookin Better and better. Still a bit too well fed yet, but I'm sure he will be starvin' by the time you are done with him.
Excellent work Conga...

Looking fine, conga... he has a haunting look to him that I feel really works well.

thanks everyone for your kind words...now...how about a nice "tiki central" welcome for my
friend...the moai kava kava....translation.....chocolate boy...

Conga, Congratulations, you have Really created an Excellent piece of chocolate. Your KavaKava man is way beyond your experience level, WHO Helped you? I think the "Old Ones" helped you, worked through your hands, to create this beauty. Here is this starving, ghostly, shell of a human being, all covered in decadent chocolate, telling his old buddies,"I Found Mine, and I'm keeping it".
Very well done Congatikiman, are you proud of this one? Are you so excited you were almost afraid to share with us for fear we would not see the beauty in it? Excellent job man, excellent job. The only bad thing about doing a piece like this is that it's really hard to turn around and get him out of your mind enough to begin another piece.
HappyHappyHappy

Conga i think this is your best one yet by far.Keep em commin and thanks for sharing.

So cool! Freaky, but cool. Conga, you've really hit a new level with this one. Does anyone know the story of Kava Kava man? Just curious.

Aaron

Sorry to say but that thing would keep me awake at night....very freaky. It is beautifully carved and the finish is perfect.
Way to go Conga. Now go learn to sleep with one eye open.

Kava Kava bestows good wishes to all of you...
Ben...thank you...I am very proud of this guy...I may have been working through the "old masters"...
you included....and you are correct on another point...Kava Kava was in my mind for so long that
I have developed "carvers" block about the next project...I even thought of just quitting for a
while...but guess what...my boss dropped off four new logs today!
TikiBeat...thanks for all of your comments...
A-A...as best I can determine....the kava kava style is Rapa Nui...meant to represent not only
direct family members but all ancestors....
and R-T....appreciate the comps....you wouldn't believe how much time I spent just looking at this
guy...late at night...being almost freaked out by how spooky he was turning out...almost feeling
like I was carving something evil. No BS...it's true.
I knew this one would miss the mark with a lot of people....thanks heeps for your endorsement.

He turned out great. I like the expression on his face. The fact he is standing in the snow is pretty cool too! So what is the next project?
JP

Hey Bruddah!
Kava kava brah looks pono! Downright ono! Dont get discouraged though bruddah! Inspiration will come and Im sure youll start chipping away at the new logs soon! He does kine of look like a big giant piece of chocolate! get me an extra tall glass of milk and lets eat him up!

Great work conga brah, keep carving and keep banging da drums!

Malama Pono!

Conga,

Only you could have pulled this one off. It's perfect, absolutely perfect. The exposed backbones put an exclamation point on the job. That finish is over the top as is the rest of him! Congratulations on producing a truly great carving.

-Gman

Conga and Kava be beating on puffed out chests...very honored that pono friends Johnny P...
Kaha and GMan have welcomed Kava into the tribe...still searching the spirits for vibes that
will lead to next scrap of wood chips...I promise no disappointment from Conga!

The kava kava man is what they made out of wood then they stopped making the Stone Moai. They were hungry and warring people at this time and the Kava man reflects his maker.

gotta love all that chocolate-y goodness ! nice job!

Conga, He really turned out great. At first the finish scared me , but i really like how he looks now. Way to experiment.

thanks Palama and Loki...and Teakey for the historical info....yea Loki...I wasn't really sure
about what color to go with....but I am pleased with the red mahogany with a gloss finish...when
I first used a satin stain it looked rather....well....poopy....the gloss brought back some of
the deep chocolate color. thanks for looking.

Great job Conga! I love seeing him standing in all that Wisconsin snow. :wink:

My thoughts were so loud I couldn't hear my mouth...

[ Edited by: finkdaddy 2006-01-14 06:02 ]

[ Edited by: finkdaddy 2006-01-14 06:02 ]

Maybe while you're looking for carving ideas you can create one of those great Congtiki paintings! I really miss them.

thanks finky.....another painting huh? Maybe I should try that again since I have a little
bit of carvers' block right now. How bout you?...what's happening with the Leeward Lounge?

beautiful saturday in northern wisconsin...a chance for the latest creation to see sunshine for
the first time. So anyway...what has almost human feet....a beak...and a tail?...the ramu river
spirit figure....henceforth to be called Ramu....



Kava Kava sez now it is time to go back to work. Thanks for peeking.

Aloha bruddah!
Nice work brah! Cant wait to see da buggah completed! Keep up the good work and keep bangin 'da drum!

Malama Pono!

Love the way your style is comming along. This guy is looking fabulous! Where are you getting your recent ideas from? It seems you've been doing a bit of research.

Good luck with that new project, I'll keep checking on your thread here. On a side note, the Northwoods rock, I like it there, I've been on vacation there a few times (like Minocqua, Eagle River, St. Germain), cool.

thanks Kaha....Finkdaddy and Bete...this is based on something I found on New Guinea
carvings...masks....weapons...etc.....very cool site...I'll post a link soon so ya others
can find it.....
Kaha my friend.....I will keep banging on de drums....will send you vibes so you can create
more pono goodies like you been postin.....
Finky....always fun to do research...started another one today based on a TC thread...I'm
hoping it will be a fine tribute to the Godfather of Tiki Central carvers...I think we all know
who that is.....

Godfather??
Nice carving but where did the tail come from? I'm sure you have a good explaination? And another in the works? You really Are Motivated. GO Conga'

Conga,
I like where this one is headed..very cool shape...

Remember Luca Brazzi sleeps with da fishes..

That is looking cool Conga. Can't wait for more progress pics. Keep em coming.
-Alldo

On 2006-01-21 12:20, congatiki wrote:
what has almost human feet....a beak...and a tail?...the ramu river
spirit figure....henceforth to be called Ramu....

I searched for the Ramu River Spirit Figure and found this (possibly) related figure on eBay:

Link

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance 2006-01-21 17:04 ]

[ Edited by: Tikiwahine - to shorten link - 2006-01-24 13:40 ]

Its so nice to see you trying new styles and always raising the bar. Very insperational.

Cant wait to see how this guy turns out.

thanks for the comps and inspirational nudges...Ben...loki...Alldo...Freddie and Rodeo....
glad that this little bugger seems to be finding a nice welcome on TC....Freddie...I really
like the one that you found on ebay....the real inspiration comes from a figure on this
site....
http://www.tribalpacifica.com

the eighth figure on gallery 8

[ Edited by: congatiki 2006-01-21 18:40 ]

Sorry - I put this in the wrong forum - now I can't move it! How do I move this post?

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-02-03 17:20 ]

Conga, I'm looking forward to Ramu. Now I've gotta go look him up & see what he's all about. Really love watching these things evolve! Show us the Conga voodoo!

From carvers block to that in about a week! Seems like a flash of inspiration and motivation hit like lightning. It is great to see different styles of tikis. I like the way the tail wraps around. Keep us posted!
JP