Paipo's Stone Tikis - 1st Thread - Jun 06 - May 08

I'm new to the site, but I've been carving stone for a few years now - mostly pendants, with the occasional small sculpture. I use a lot of stone (greywacke & argillite) from the local beaches around here - there's plenty of it, it holds nice detail, and it's good to have a connection with what you're carving.
Inspired by what I've seen here, I'm going to try my hand at a few classic tiki carving styles over the coming months.
First up, here's a Hawaiian style piece I made today, based on one of the first pieces I bought for my tiki collection. It was quite challenging working out what tools to define the key lines with, and I threw away my first attempt after making a few poorly thought out cuts.
It just needs a little more clean-up work, and some holes in the back for a cord before it's finished. Made from natural beach pebble, carved with an electric dental handpiece and about 6 different diamond burrs:

[ Edited by: Paipo 2008-05-30 17:11 ]

Kia Ora.

Awesome to say the least. I love it. Want it. Keep showing the pics. Perhaps a step by step?

Very, very nice.

This looks very good, I really like it.

beautiful piece, paipo!

This is a gorgeous piece, Paipo.

How much does it weigh?

SWEET PIECE BRO. CAN YOU POST A STEP BY STEP ON THE PROCESS??
Moon

Paipo, Welcome to TC. zLooks like you have been carving for awhile. This tiki certainly is Sweet and you made it seem so effortless going from raw stone to carved fave in no time flay. Well done. Can't wait to see more. Do you have pic's of your priveous work??

Kia Ora guys, it's great to get up and see so many replies!

I was planning to post progress pics as I went - I figured the carvers here probably hadn't seen much in the way of stone techniques before. The problem was, once I discarded my first piece and got going with this one, I didn't want to stop! I started it after lunch and kept working until early evening. Once I'm in "the zone" I like to keep going without a break until something is finished.

Seeing the interest is there, I've got some photos of the tools I used so I'll try and explain the process, by pointing out which tools I used for the various techniques.

First up, here's my baby: Nakanishi dental micromotor system. You can't see the foot control under the bench in this shot. High torque, smooth running from 1-50,000 rpm. I previously used a heavy duty dremel (still do on ocasion), but the difference between the two is akin to that between a Lada and a Ferrari.

Here are the diamond burrs I used on the carving - all 2.34mm shank Hongia brand.

1. Fine needle, 1mm diameter
   2,3. Flat discs with diamonds on both sides and edges - 5mm & 2mm
   4,5. 12mm & 6 mm inverted cones. It's hard to tell from the pic, but these are concave on the end. This allows a flowing curved cut where the back of the cut is lightly concave and the front is convex, similar to what you get from a U shaped chisel. More on these in a minute.
   6,7. Flat ended cylindrical burrs, both about 3mm, one a little shorter and tapered slightly.
2. Core drill (hole saw), 5mm dia.

OK, on to the carving...after drawing on my design, I defined the face using #4 (yellow lines) and #5 (green lines). These burrs produce a deep bold cut, but you have to be very confident with your action or they will ruin a piece in a second. Being shown how to use these by a Maori master carver who specialised in tiki was a revelation. No other tool can do so much in so little time when used correctly. I follow these lines repeatedly with #6 or 7 to smooth out tool marks and improve the flow.
Yeah, I know he looks like the Ultimate Warrior!

Now for some detailing using the cutting discs - #2 (red) & #3 (blue). again, I follow the horizontal cuts with # 6 or 7 to bevel off the bottom edges to get that "Wood carved" look.

Time to define the mouth by dropping down a couple of spots using the core drill (#8) followed with the flat end of #6 (which I also used for the nostrils).

OK, we're almost there - I just need to get some teeth happening. I cut a line with disc #2 (red) and push a hole in each end by drilling down with the flat end of the tiny disc #3 (orange spots). Once I have the depth right, I move this burr gently around to undercut the hole for a bit more shadow in the corners of the mouth. Finally, the teeth are made with the needle #1 (pale green). I push the sharp end in a little under the lip, again to enhance the feeling of depth with some bold shadow. A few notches on the chin with the same tool, and it's pretty much done.

The rest of the process involves hours of going over the same cuts with the same tools (or the same tool in a finer grit) but on lower speeds and less water, so the burrs are sanding rather than cutting. Finally, A quick brush with some beeswax, some holes in the back followed by a cord and toggle and it'll be ready to go!

welcome to tc hey nice carve.

On 2006-06-23 11:20, Tiki-Kate wrote:
This is a gorgeous piece, Paipo.

How much does it weigh?

I forgot to answer this in my previous post...I'm not sure, but I'd guess maybe 1 1/2 ounces or so? It measures 48mm L x 36mm W x 10mm D.

SsweeetT Paipo! Nice stonez my man...and welcome aboard! :tiki:

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

Thanks for all the positive comments, especially from the carvers. Loki, Marcus and Benzart, I've read through threads of all your work before I started posting, and I really liked what I saw. I'm especially interested in feedback from other carvers who specialise in pendants.
Here's another one I made a couple of months ago. Pretty simple technique wise - a sequence of holes with some sharp cuts for emphasis. I wanted it fairly flat so it looked a bit like a tin toy. It's about the same size as the piece above - 2" long.

Paipo,

Welcome aboard. Thanks for posting the technique pics. That's cool stuff. Keep posting, I would like to see more. Have you done any Taniwha in stone?

-Gman

Nice tikis!

Paipo, Excellent step-by-step. Thanks for taking the time to do that.
You use water to cool the tool when doing the heavy carving? How do you introduce the water to the piece, a spray, or a continuous dunk?
The second piece is really tight with very precise machining going on. Can't wait to see more!

Paipo, you do such great work. Very precise and clean. The final pieces are just so nice looking both in craftsmanship and in design. Yes lets see more of them please.

Very nice tikis. I look forward to seeing what else you come up with.

Thanks again to everyone for the positive feedback.

On 2006-06-25 06:02, Benzart wrote:
Paipo, Excellent step-by-step. Thanks for taking the time to do that.
You use water to cool the tool when doing the heavy carving? How do you introduce the water to the piece, a spray, or a continuous dunk?
The second piece is really tight with very precise machining going on. Can't wait to see more!

Yep, if you look carefully at my handpiece in the first pic of the "how-to" post you'll see I've taped a thin hose to it that tapers right down at the end. This sprays a fine stream of water directly on to the burr. Once I've made all my cuts and then cleaned them up, I often run the burrs dry at very low revs (

SWEET! I would love one of those....one day.

Wow that is some really nice stuff, and I love the way you seek unique-ness. The hei-tiki is beautiful. Great to have a new zealand carver here at tiki central...welcome!

Looks great man! Very informative pics are great too!

Welcome to TC

That " Navigator" is Just plain Awesome. I REally love the Hollowing of the eyes and mouth and the Ghostly feel it gives the piece. I have a feeling you are quite an accomplished artist in the top tier of your field.
HappyHappy and more Happy

THanks for finding the board, my friend. Your carvings are AMAZING (or...THEY ROCK!). I look forward to seeing more!

On 2006-06-25 16:37, GMAN wrote:
SWEET! I would love one of those....one day.

Me too! Great stuff Paipo - and thanks for the "Play-byPlay" explanation. That is very fine art. I'm inspired again! I wonder if my Foredom unit can do that. I'll have to get some bits... and more tools... oh no!

This one:

is the "Piece de Resistors" no?

[ Edited by: tikigap 2006-06-27 15:00 ]

On 2006-06-27 14:58, tikigap wrote:
I wonder if my Foredom unit can do that. I'll have to get some bits... and more tools... oh no!

I've used a foredom and a heavy duty dremel, and they're both fine for this sort of work - just a little slower than what I use. They do have the advantage of being compatible with bigger burrs (6mm shank) that you can use for larger pieces. Diamond burrs are dirt cheap on ebay, but I recommend finding a supplier of a reputable dental brand such as the hongia ones.

[ Edited by: Paipo 2006-06-27 20:04 ]

This guys work is amazing! If you haven't checked out his website yet you need to.

Beautiful simplicity at it's best.

You rock bro. No pun intended.

Thanks GMAN, surfintiki, hewey, Benz, polynesiac, tikigap and of course Flounder! The encouraging vibe around here is really cool.

This will be the last new work I post for a while, as I'm off on a "research trip" to Rarotonga for 10 days to escape the grip of a particularly icy NZ winter. I'll be trying to see as many carvers as I can in the hope of adding a fine Tangaroa to my stable of heathen idols.

I thought I better take something appropriate to wear, and thus was born the "Mini Marq". Greywacke stone with black lip pearl shell inlay:

This guy is SOoo Sweet! Paipo, you really have the Touch a lot of us would give a left arm for (usually we give the Right arm for this stuff, but the "Touch would be useless without our right arm!)
HAve a nice vacation.

Welcome aboard. Great stone tikis, thanks for the step by steps they were helpful.

Have a good trip and we hope to see more when you get back.

JP

I'm loving this one. We might have to do some trading after all.

Have a great trip.

I am new at this site too. I like your work.

That new piece is awesome! Love it man.

Beautiful work!
Thanks for posting your creations.

Thanks guys - carvers and afficionados alike. Benz, speaking of the carver's "right arm", stay tuned and all will be revealed! JohnnyP, I've been reading your thread today but the images don't seem to be working at the moment. I'm very keen to check out your canoe prow as I have a similar (although I'm sure smaller) project in mind.
Flounder, if you see anything you want in my thread let me know. I've got a spot reserved for one of your paintings! Pyrotiki, hewey and Tikiwahine, thanks to you all for your kind words too. I'm hoping to have many more projects posted here in future.

I've spent the last couple of days since I got back from my Rarotonga trip catching up on the new work here, as well as sorting through my photos and recollections of the trip, which was in a word AMAZING! I've been dreaming about doing a trip like this for some time, and I wasn't disappointed. Cook Islanders (Maori) are the friendliest and most laid back cats ever, and there is plenty of creative talent on show too.

Strictly speaking, this should probably be in the travel forum, but seeing as it's all carving related I thought I'd keep it here. This is only a fraction of what I saw, as most of the shops and museums wouldn't allow photos.

Some of the craft stores and market stalls. Lots of Fijian and Tongan stuff of pretty average quality that has nothing to do with the Cook Islands, and a small amount of good detailed local work:

Impostors!

I loved this one and so did my wife (which is rare, as she thinks I have way too much of "that tiki stuff"), about 4 feet high and a snip at NZ$800!

Rongo, Tangaroa's less famous brother. This guy almost became extinct thanks to the missionaries, and contemporary examples are based on a plaster cast of an original specimen in the British Museum. The cast was in one of two local museums, where pretty much everything on display was on loan from New Zealand museums or private collections from throughout the Pacific. The other museum was 90% modern reproductions and 10% loaned from a US museum. Sad to see so little of a country's artistic heritage in its own hands.

"Big Daddy" Tang, but I like the 12 foot staff god above his head much more.

Great cafe (the Blue Note), great carving. One of the very few contemporary interpretations of a Cook Islands god I saw, it had a cool Gigeresque vibe to it.

Strolling along the lagoon edge one day, I spied this traditional outrigger made from local mahogany. Upon closer inspection...

One of the highlights of our trip was the A-riki Arts Tour, hosted by local carver Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp. Of NZ Maori descent, he has lived in the Cooks for about 20 years and is also heavily involved in maintaining and sailing traditional voyaging canoes. The tour started at Ngatangiia Harbour, where tradition holds that the 7 canoes that settled NZ set forth around 1350 AD. Ngatangiia is the only natural harbour on the island, with its reef passage (Avana) also providing some fun waves while I was there.
The tour was tailored to our small group and had a focus on carving:

Tokerau Jim, a very talented pearl and shell carver at Matavera. The amount of detail this guy can pack into a small space with his engraving skills was incredible. He uses a similar dental handpiece as I do for stone, but uses tungsten burrs as they leave a much better finish that doesn't require sanding, and has a nice chisel-like effect.

Next Te Aturangi showed us a boulder carving by local artist Mike Tavioni:



The inlaid figures are made with a mortar using sand from the lagoon beach - I saw this on some other pieces and it looked very effective. This type of sculpting is my long term creative goal.

Finally (for this post anyway!), Te Aturangi explains the meaning of a commissioned work he carved for a private home. A very impressive piece combining NZ and Cook Island Maori figures.

...and another piece he collaborated on with Mike Tavioni, based on the legend of Maui:

We also visited fabric artists, a painter and a traditional tattooist. More to come!

Wow, What a Fantastic trip. This must have had you in goose-bumps the whole time. Thanks for sharing these Awesome pictures. I'm tired form my travels here to the Cook Islands, Thanks.

Thanks Benz, and as requested in the other thread, here's my permanent souvenir of Rarotonga. It's an adze comprised of traditional Mangaian motifs, surmounted by a tiki, and with various other Cook Island carving patterns around it. The bottom curls (koru) are pretty much NZ Maori style. This piece was made up for me on the spot - this is the traditional way this artist works - he talks to you about your life and interests, meditates on it for a while then starts work. It takes a fair bit of faith, but I love the result and think it has much more relevance than something picked off a wall.

Oooh, that tickles!

Thats a nice looking design, I Love the fact that you need to make a Leap of faith and that you end up with a piece which means more to you than you were looking for. Nice.

Damn, you got more balls than me! That is a gorgeous tatt though!

Love these holiday shots!

Im really wanting a tattoo...

wow i just read this thread from top to bottom...
excellent carvings!
excellent explanations!
envious of the cook island trip, and excellent tatt to top it all off!!
did he really come up with that fantastic design there and then, and you were prepared to have whatever he came up with tattooed on your forearm? that shows a lot of faith and courage, but it was all worthwhile!
well done and thanks for the posts.
cheers,
harro.

On 2006-07-14 20:27, harro wrote:
did he really come up with that fantastic design there and then, and you were prepared to have whatever he came up with tattooed on your forearm? that shows a lot of faith and courage, but it was all worthwhile!

Yes, exactly as I described,but he did spend a while before starting, thinking deeply on what he was going to do and preparing mentally (as did I!) With Polynesian tatau, traditionally you do not choose what is put upon you - it is chosen for you. Te Aturangi's (art tour guide) ta moko were all given to him at various stages of his life, with some his major pieces done for when he sailed voyaging canoes between Pacific nations.
I had decided a while back that if I ever got tattooed I wanted something traditional that wouldn't date. I know I'll never lose my love of Pacific art, so it wasn't too hard to go through with. Unfortunately I'm hooked now, and I'm already planning my next visit to a Maori tattooist here in NZ!

[ Edited by: Paipo 2006-07-14 21:18 ]

Finally some more carvings are underway - I've had a hard time readjusting to being back in the NZ winter. Having an expectant wife and a whole lot of renovating to do before the big day hasn't helped matters either! In beween painting the nursery (formerly my tiki room :() I've managed a few hours in the workshop.

Rarotongan basalt, carves beautifully and similar to black jade. I'm not sure what this one will be yet, either a staff god or profile Tangaroa with a huge head:

A stylised double hei-matau (fish hook) and a remake of the hei-tiki I posted a page or so back (The Navigator), both in NZ jade (pounamu):

Paipo
I've followed this thread with great interest and love your work. I carve a little, small things in bone and wood mainly. My question is where can you get hold of NZ Greenstone in the sort of slab you are working on, the nearest I find is Nephrite Jade but mainly in Palmstones and similar. If I sent some cash or PayPal could you source some for me?
Great Work
Flynny

Boy, Can't wait to see how these guys turn out. I'm with Flynny, I'd love a slab of that to carve, though I would probably never get around to doing it, Dammit!

Can't believe I missed this post froms six days ago...thanks for all of the pics of
the incredible carvings and stuff......nice work on the pendants too. I'm gonna keep
coming back to these.

Wow, I missed it too. What a great trip, Paipo. That tatt is awesome. My only regret from our Tahiti trip 11 years ago was that I did not get one. That is one souvenir that you will always have. Good luck with the jade. I know you will carve something incredible from it.

A-A

Flynny and Benz, I may be able to help you out with some jade, although it is hard to get here nowadays as there is no commercial extraction of the resource at present (nor has there been for several years). The entire pounamu resource was given to the South Island Ngai Tahu tribe as part of a treaty settlement. This has caused some resentment locally (I live on the northern fringe of "Jade Country"), as many of the deposits were only discovered by modern lapidaries using helicopters from the 1960s onwards and had no traditional history of usage.
So it's a seller's market these days, and the sellers are few and far between. I'm hoping to get a little more stone soon from a friend, and am sure I can pass on enough for a couple of beginner projects. I've always got odds and ends kicking around too. Bear in mind you need a reasonable kit of diamond tools for even a fairly simple piece - rocksaw, grinding wheel, dremel with diamond burrs etc, all of which needs water running onto it.
One easy way around this is to use pebbles, which are already shaped and can just be carved with the dremel, which is what I did before I got my workshop together. Anybody can still collect pebbles from the beaches here - these are some of the pieces I've picked up over the years I've been here:

Conga and AA, thanks for stopping by too. Your threads are both on my regular watchlist - I'm pretty envious of all you "big tiki" guys, and feel it's only a matter of time before I give in to the urge and get myself a set of chisels.

Hey Paipo,
Just went through your entire thread--amazing stuff! You guys kill me with that tiny stuff. I'd have bloody nubs for fingers trying to carve something that small.
Checked out your website also, waaaaay cool stuff. Very clean, sharp- definately top o' the line stuff.

Great idea for a trip too--a local arts and cafts tour with a lifetime souviner for the trip of a lifetime (would be for me, anyway)
The tatt: supercool! I've been getting into traditional Oceanic patterns and such here lately. Your tatt may just inspire a carving.