BENZART's Carvings Second original thread

benz you sure know how to post those progress pics....Man your shop looks like a carvers dream, one could realy go nuts with all those tools. Awsome work on those new pendents, I can t wait to see um done...

Cool how the pendants are shaping up, and mahogany and black walnut are great hardwoods to use for these great pieces you make.

Great work as always Ben! I love the Big Ben stuff, don't get me wrong, but I'm so happy so see some more Benzart pendants on the way. They're what started me carving in the first place. :D

Oh, the wisdom you have. You make it look so simple. Aside from your carving ability, I don't know what is more impressive, the amount of wonderful tools on your bench or the fact you can't see a piece of sawdust on it.
JP

Kirby, thanks, what seems like a lot of tools to you is not nearly enough when you have them. You never have enough. and I think of the time back when I only had a handfull of tools and still did the same work,,,only Slooweer.

Thanks Bete, these are 2 of my favorite woods to carve. Add Cherry and Maple and those 4 Are my favorite.

Thanks Finky, I know, sometimes I feel guilty about ignoring the pendant carving..I Will be doing more.

JohnnyP, Thanks, The wisdom is knowing how to use the tools and knowing (or trying to find out) what each tool does. My motto is any tool that removes wood fast is fair game. As for the dust, it was actually so bad I couldn't see the bench, so I just brushed it off onto the floor. I used to try vacuuming it up, but got tired of having to fish tools out of the vac cannister. Now THERE's a fun job. One thing you will always find in my shop is wood chips and sawdust.

Thanks everyone. I will post more tomorrow. Thanks

Benz, please choose whatever color he wants to be. He is in charge you know. :)

Ah, maple, yeah, now that would be very cool to see what it looks like after you carved it. The bird's eye maple always looks cool. Cherry is nice too. I've seen things like vases adn bowls carved out of both of those types of woods.

Aloha bruddah Ben!
Au-way! Those pendants are going to pono! I do also love your workshop there! Looks a bit like mine only a lot cleaner! Im a bit bumbye on the cleaning and have around an inch of dust on everything!
Anyway brah, I read your last post on my thread and I really appreciate how much you love my work and You know the feeling is mutual fo'shua! Ive got you all set-up for our trade bruddah, you just let me know when you want da kine!

You know how we all feel about you here bruddah but Ill say it anyways...Respect to the Kahuna, you rule Ben!

Malama Pono!

Ben, everything looks like it's coming along great, as usual. What you said about your favorite woods to carve got me thinking-- I don't even know what it is I'm carving. Something that got cut down after the last bad bout of winds. Ha!
After my current tiki project is done, I think I'm gonna give a try on something fancier. Thanks for the inadvertent suggestion!

Ben-
I am loving all of your stuff !!! What else can I say more more more!!!! BTW are those pendants up for grabs or are people already waiting for these badboys?? If not please let me know. You know me I can't have enough!!!! Thanks for posting pic's!!!
Later,
Spermy

Thanks Loki, I think he loves Mahogany, we'll see

Thanks Bete, the pendant I carved with the glass eyes was maple,,Beautiful wood,

Kaha ki'i, big mahalos, I Appreciate your support. It means a lot coming from you.

Thanks TikiJosh. Show me a close up of the wood and I will try to ID it for you. Fancy wood doesn't make the carving fancy, only you can do that.

Thanks a ton Spermy. These are spoken for but you may have one soon.Thanks.

Here is an update on the maori pendant. I had to put his glass eyes in before I got too far finished with him since the hole cutting can potentially screw up Badly and I would not want that on a complete piece

Top knotch stuff as always, Ben..

Hey Ben- From the proud owner of 2 of your maori pendants, this guy is looking great... The eyes, the way they are set, are hypnotic.

Ben, your maori carvings are always scarey-real. Those eyes...man you are GOOD!

Great as usual! You could stop right there and still have a decent carving!

On 2006-02-05 20:53, Benzart wrote:
Thanks TikiJosh. Show me a close up of the wood and I will try to ID it for you. Fancy wood doesn't make the carving fancy, only you can do that.

I'll try to take some shots of some of the trees around here that are like that. Of course, I think a lot of them got cut down, so that might be a little problem. I'm sure I can find someone. I'll also try posting pics of the wood before debarking-- I've got a couple of logs chilling around here somewhere, just waiting for their inner tiki to be unleashed! ha ha.

Thanks BK. I try to keep the detail level high as a challenge to me.Thanks again

Sam Gambino, Thanks from someone who is a big supporter and artist, I take that in High Reguard, It means a lot to me, Thanks Again

Finky, thanks. Putting the glass eyes really gives it a little push to be above average and is really challenging. I have been around and carving for about 20 years.You have learned more in 1 year than I did my first 5 years. You will be the Master soon if you stick to it!.

JohnnyP, you're right I could, but that would be no fun. I would never know how far I could have taken him on the road to perfection. Besides the wood is to beautiful t do half way. Thanks

TikiJosh, yes , show me the logs.Maybe it is some beautiful exotic hardwood.Thanks
.
Here is todays update

Well thats it for now, Enjoy

Ben, Wow on the headdress on #8...what inspired that? A very cool twist indeed. Very outside the box and it works.

[ Edited by: Loki 2006-02-07 05:16 ]

Drooling over both the awesome carvings AND the amazing workspace!

love the bamboo stylings on the headress too!

WOW Ben, everything looks so cool!! WOW to those tools too!

Ben, that Lono #8 headress is sooooooooooooooooooo amazing!!

Awesome creations. Amazing craftsmanship. A true inspiration to us all.
Now, I'm gonna look up your profile and find out what kind of foods you eat.

Loki, Harro, Bete and HelloTiki, Thanks for all the kind words. The headdress post was inspired by my twisted, aching Spine. I really didn't ttry to maki it look like Bamboo.
The tools are a mess and thats why I tok pictures of all the piles of tools. Lately I have been just brushing away an area for working space and letting the rest of it just go. I will clean it up one of these days.
I eat pineapples, Coconuts(husk and all)Grilled pigs feetand recently a lot of pigs tails and I season it all with frest ground sawdust.
MAhalos everyone.

Hi Ben I am glad to see there is another person like me that has a couple of projects on the run at one time - I love the deadline pressure - makes me work harder(wife not so happy with this behaviour) When I get commissioned to carve something for a birthday the pressure is on! Have a couple at the moment that I am running in between.
Maori tikis seem to be a favourite of yours? I have been asked to carve a New Zealand head gear shift knob I hope I can do it half as good as your stuff. I'll be watching and learning keep up the great work.

Now that you mention it, it does look like a spine. I gotta say it is totally cool, but I am sorry if your back is giving you problems. On a side note, they say great art is inspired by the way we feel. I hope your feeling better soon, take it easy!

Benz,

So, what's up man, you suffering from adult onset ADD? Geez! How many carvings do you have rolling over there? More than six? So much for taking it easy! I go away for work and come back and see that you are not only working on a big Lono and a GIANT Maori, but now all these pendants too? Gads!!! How can you give each of them enough attention??? Sleep much?

Your work looks beautiful, as always.

-Gman

It´s unbelievable! I think you are the master.
I admire again and again the maori, you carved for bigbrotiki.
Thank you for inspire so much with you work.

Hey Marcus Thanks, I appreciate your props. Yes the Maori's are my favorite to carve, very challenging. Have you been to my website? You can see all my pendants there which include several maoris which may help. Thanks.

Thanks Bete, it's nothing new with my spine, just worse sometimes, I'll be OK. Thanks again.

Gman, glad to have you back!. No, I don't have 6 going, only 4 for now, and they all get the same amount of the knife. No I don't sleep enough.Thanks for the comps, now back to work with you!

Haikai, Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad I can be an inspiration. Glad you like Svens pendant, that was the best one I had ever done and the first with the glass eyes.

Here are the updates for today and yesterday.

[ Edited by: Benzart 2006-02-08 13:36 ]

looking awesome as always ben! can't wait to see them finished. i've had to go back into the post to get caught up on all your work since i was gone for 3 weeks. all of it looks great!!

#9... :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

They must have shot you full of caffine with that last epidural, the amount of progress you have made is incredible.
JP

The lines you drew on #9 are soooooo cool, that is gonna be an awesome statue! Are the pictures on the bottom early stages of #8's headress?

I'm going to have nightmares about that last pic. Those eyes...

Benz,

The maori is really moving fast. Drawing moko already! Wow! How about giving us a shot showing the whole maori the next time you are shooting? I would like to see how you are working out his arms/hands and legs. I remember you showing me that log. It was huge! Is he going to be the full 6+ feet? Man, I can't wait to see your next update. Oh, and if you need more pigs tails to keep up your madness, I know a guy......

-Gman

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2006-02-08 17:04 ]

On 2006-02-08 16:37, finkdaddy wrote:
I'm going to have nightmares about that last pic. Those eyes...

Yeah, that's a really wild picture, but very cool too.

Thanks Tiki5-0, Had I known you would be gone I would have taken 3 weeks off so you wouldn't miss anything, butmaybe next time. hoho. Thanks for the comps.

Thanks Loki

Thanks JohnnyP, I know, I will have to get the reeipe for what ever it was.

Bete, thanks, not sure yet.

Hey Finky, did you know that red-eye showed up all by itself?

GMAN, yes he will be 6 ft tall and tomorrow I will work on him and will shoot the whole thing. Make sure the pig tails are medium well, I don't want any squeeling. Thanks.

Thanks Bete, and Finky I guess I did add some color..
I worked on the pendant awhile today.

I don't know how you do it, Ben. Not just the smooth, clean lines, but the perfect proportion. That's what really floors me! He looks like if you got your finger too close he'd bite it!

Ha! HA! That is cool! I laughed my hiney off when I first saw this one - how cool! You're nuts! (and I mean that with all due respect!) It's soo cool. I want one.

a.k.a. Mayor of Forbidden City

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-02-10 00:29 ]

Wow, it looks like it could come to life, how wild!

Very inspiring.
JP

Ben,

He looks awesome! Is he "done"? 'cause I likee, likee as is! That's one scary face...kinda what I look like when I get up at 5:00 for work, Ack!

SilverlineThaks for the comps and yes he DOES BITE!

Tikigap At you laff for all the right reasons. We'll talk about you getting one maybeone thet doesn't bite.

Bete, he May just come to life for the fun of it, Thanks

JohnP, Thanks

Gman, nope, He's not done. I have a few more days and he will be done. Just don't get up for work until6:00, maybe you'll look better!

Here he is again a bit closer and the color is Almost right on in these shots/

WOW that guy looks freakin great!! Man I love your work Ben!!!

Yo Benzo!

I have a question. What is the pitcher with the red stuff in it, around 11:00 ( upper left) in the photo below?? Some kind of "Super Man Carving Juice??? " You blow my mind man!

Reverend! You're really on the ball there! How in the heck did you see that?

What a hoot - Could that be daquiri's Ben? They look a little red for Mai Tais... Hardee har har!

Ben,
Great detail, can't see how tou do it on such a small scale.

OHHH YEAAHHH! How silly of me to think it was done. I see where you are going. Are you using the hook for the moko or can you actually use the #50 on there? Sweet Stuff!

-Gman

same question as Gman...looks outstanding Ben.