VanTiki Mugs: Octopus Time Lapse

These are outrageous - easily some of the coolest mugs I've ever seen. I love the fact that you hand build them individually. Great work!

I think that clear just on the inside for at least a few. Their are a lot of vintage tiki mugs this way. A mug only really gets used on the inside. Even if the outside did get dirty, you don't drink from the outside. Second, if it looks better that way, most big collectors may only display your mug and if its the best look and the artist choice of finish then don't compromise . Although, A mug still has to be a mug to drink from even for display proposes, most of the time. If just to look like it could work.

Okey-Dokey,

Welp, I went for a clear coat over the whole mug. Felt safer that way, knowing the mug was "to code". If it looks good, great! If I hate it, well.... I guess I will just do the inside only for the next glaze test. Here is a shot of the Pongo log and two Trepanning Accident skull mugs with the clear coat. Using the clear coat is always a tad scary for me - I spend forever glazing the mugs with underglazes, and once they look perfect I dip (or brush - depends on the mug) them in this vat of what looks like thick milk. Then the mugs look like you see in the photo. Icky marshmallow mugs. I load them in the kiln and begin worrying: did the underglaze run? will they turn out? did I forget a spot?
I start the kiln (like I did at 6:30 this morning) and cross my fingers. You muggers out there know the feeling of opening a kiln after a final glaze firing. Kind of like Christmas at the dentist's office. Most likely you will get a bunch of cool stuff - but you may wind up with a very painful/sad experience!

Mahalo!
VanTiki

PS - the glaze firing will be done in a few hours, and I will be openng the kiln tomorrow morning. Will post photos of the success/failure then!

Failure! Ohhhh... woe and sadness! Rum Demon, perhaps only you will understand my pain! I opened the kiln this morning to find that my test glaze pongo log had tipped over onto one of the Trepanning Accident skulls! They were fused together like some sort of Tiki nightmare Siamese twin. Argh! To top it off, I didn't apply enough green to the test glaze, and it didn't come out anywhere near as bright as I wanted it to. Sigh. After breaking the mugs apart I sanded the rough spots and took these shots. First up, the Pongo Logs:

next up is the rest of "batch 4" - The skull on the left is the damaged one, and it will be joining the center Pongo Log from the above photo on my "Shelf of Shame" (cue thunder rumble).

The good new is the rest of the batch 4 mugs look good. Whew! :)

Mahalo,
VanTiki

Those are seriously awesome! The skull mugs are sweet! Reminds me of my days teaching primate evolution lab. I gotta get one. I can't believe I haven't seen these posts before! Where have I been? Oh yeah, at work.
Seriously, the sculpting is out of this world. The shape of the skulls is so realistic, it amazes me. I was thinking at first that you were using a real skull as a mold. I can't believe you sculpt those by hand! Amazing!
BTW, the arch that forms the cheek is composed of two bones actually, the temporal process of the zygomatic bone (good job Van Tiki, remembering that much) and also the zygomatic process of the temporal bone.
Sorry, don't mean to show off. I gotta get one of those mugs. Hopefully the missus will get me one for my birthday this year!

[ Edited by: TikiJosh 2006-07-28 12:21 ]

Although maybe you lost that velvet feel to your Pongo Log Mug, it looks like that middle brown one is the best with all the depth in color. Your work and craftsmanship is not lost and everyone can still see all the detail and extra steps that you put into tiki. Not just your tiki but tiki as a whole.

wait let me get this straight, that brown one is the one that fell over. If it is , still the best looking mess up I've seen.

wait let me get this straight, that brown one is the one that fell over. If it is , still the best looking mess up I've seen.

Hah hah - yep - it is the brown one. You are too kind! Hard to tell in the photo, but if you look closely at the right side eyebrow and the middle of the nose you will see a bit of white where the glaze broke away as I pried the fused mugs apart. Very frustrating! This mug and one of the 2 skulls are too damaged to sell, and will therefore be used by me :)

http://www.vantiki.com

[ Edited by: VanTiki 2006-07-28 12:27 ]

[ Edited by: VanTiki 2006-07-28 12:27 ]

Wow, that brown Pongo looks fantastic.

Don't despair VT, that brown glaze is off the map! Sweeeeeeeeeeet!

cheeky half

The teeth have come out a lot better on that brown guy!

I love how this looks, just like this! Maybe a light bamboo colour with dark brwon crevices?

Great mugs, love seeing how you are experimenting with them!

Great stuff, Vantiki. I like the character they have with all of the deep cuts.

Mahalo Sam! Thank you so much for the compliment, it means a lot from an artist of your caliber!

Ok folks - As you may have seen on the Marketplace forums, I made a musical tiki mug! I call him "Tooty Tikki Tavi" and am really happy with the way it turned out. I can't wait to try some other designs I have floating around my head. The mug has an ocarina built into its base, and it can play three different notes. Here are some shots of the sculpture "on the slab" in my studio (you can see the mouthpiece on the bottom of the mug in the last photo):

anyway, this marks my first foray into the murky waters of eBay. Very intimidating filling out all those forms!

Mahalo,
VanTiki

http://www.vantiki.com

[ Edited by: VanTiki 2006-07-30 19:29 ]

This piece is awesome, you're definitely doing the most innovative mugs I've seen. Have you got an animation background? Your style is really cartoony (in a good way!)

On 2006-07-31 01:35, Paipo wrote:
Have you got an animation background? Your style is really cartoony (in a good way!)

Funny you should ask - my "day job" is animation and illustration ( http://www.bigdproductions.tv ), I guess it does kind of leak into my tiki designs... :)

VanTiki

Great mugs! I really like the wild, imaginative designs. And I like the distinct, sharp lines and edges on them.
Was wondering - the clay walls look thick - how much does one weigh?

On 2006-07-31 13:01, ToonToonz wrote:
Great mugs! I really like the wild, imaginative designs. And I like the distinct, sharp lines and edges on them.
Was wondering - the clay walls look thick - how much does one weigh?

Mahalo for the compliments!
Yep - they are a tad hefty, but I feel that adds to their charm! :)

It just so happens that I have my scale out in the studio - lemmie go weigh one....

(weighing..)

OK - The Pongo Logs tip the scales at 2lb 6oz each (or 1084 g), and the smaller Trepanning Accident skulls are 1lb 8oz (677g). The weight will, of course, vary from mug to mug.

Aloha!
VanTiki

Nice work on 'TooTy'! Right on target with that one VanTiki!! Luv'n it brah!

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

Aloha everyone!

Tested some new porcelain this week for sculpting teeth with, and I really like this new stuff. While the porcelain I have been using in the past fired to a nice white, it was never translucent enough for my taste. The ceramics store I shop at recommended this "Frost" porcelain, and I made a few test teeth.

the three teeth on the left are the old porcelain, and the 7 on the right are the frost porcelain. You can see that the frost is a brighter white, and when the sun is behind it (as in the bottom photo) the frost is translucent. Whoo! This is what I will be using for all tiki and skull teeth from here on out.

If anyone else wants to run out and get this frost porcelain - be warned that is is a bit tricky to work. It has a high glass content (hence it's translucency) and not much else. Feels like a dry putty or grout - and tends to crack while you shape it. It is worth the extra effort, though!

VanTiki

the new teeth look great, vt. put me down for a brown pongo with the new teeth. mahalo

I gotta say this stuff is amazing! Such cool, defined pieces. Love it.

I'll take a full set of dentures.

nice NICE work there man. really like the one guy with the supprised look.

good job

Holy Trepanation! These are bad-ass! I love the trep/skull. I also agree w/most everyone else here---some of the most imaginative/innovative mugs I've seen anywhere. Check back soon.

On 2006-08-22 13:01, kingstiedye wrote:
the new teeth look great, vt. put me down for a brown pongo with the new teeth. mahalo

You got it! I am booked solid with the "day job" for a few weeks, but after that I'll dive back into the studio and put together a Pongo for you!

Mahalo for the comments, everyone!

VanTiki

Yessir - I can't believe it has been months since I've made a mug! Never fear, the studio has been cleaned and the clay is back in motion. Updated the site a tad (the Jabber Pod mug is officially retired!) and will get some shots of the new mugs up soon. In addition to a handful of Trepanning Skulls and Pongo Logs, I'll be making a bunch for Traveling Jones, as well as some custom one-off mug types (along the lines of my Tooty mug), and a few halloween specials - oooooo!

Sorry for vanishing! That's the problem with a day job :wink:

VanTiki

Okey Dokey -

Put together a few Trepanning Accident Skulls this morning - as I have already put a zillion photos of those guys up, I thought I post some "making of" shots for a change.

First up - early in the creation process - I've shaped out the "bowl" portion of the 4 mugs (lower left) and have begun shaping the porcelain teeth (arranged in order for each mug: molars, bicuspids, incisors - the works! I make 12 teeth per mug, but usually only use 8 to 10). I need to let both of these firm up a bit before stage 2. I also have my trusty turntable along with some reference materials: a photo of one of my favorite skull mug sculptures and a chipped mug that I wont sell.

Next we have two shots of the "face" roughed in on a bowl. I will refine the shape, smooth things out with a scotch-pad and a brush, and stick in the now hard teeth (I dip the roots in water before pressing them into the softer clay on the skull to help the different clay bodies bond together).

Here you see the "fresh" skulls drying out. I will let them get leather hard, then carve the "shattered" rim as well as the assorted cracks and fractures in the bone to "age" them. As we are itching to see The Prestige, and I need to hit costco for a turkey fryer (Halloween goodness with dry ice!) I think I am gonna loosely cover these guys in plastic and detail them tomorrow morning.

More mugs to come!
Mahalo,
VanTiki

http://www.vantiki.com

[ Edited by: VanTiki 2006-10-21 16:38 ]

Looking SPOOKTAKULAR! Nice Job Man.

ST

I'm always impressed with the amount of effort you put into your work - all the little details like the teeth and the various surface effects. I'm pretty excited to hear you've got some new mugs coming...how long do we have to wait? I definitely need to add couple of your pieces to my fledgling mug collection.

always wondered how these babies go together :)

cant wait to see some fresh designs

Vantiki- Your work is amazing!

Thanks for sharing the progress and process- It's cool to see everything come together!!

Somewhere on the Island of Misfit Tiki?...

• Vantiki the Elf," but I don't wanna make tikis, I want to be... a dentist!"
  +Vantiki wrote, "arranged in order for each mug: molars, bicuspids, incisors - the works! I make 12 teeth per mug, but usually only use 8 to 10"

:D SMILE :D

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

On 2006-10-22 15:12, TravelingJones wrote:
Somewhere on the Island of Misfit Tiki?...

• Vantiki the Elf," but I don't wanna make tikis, I want to be... a dentist!"

Too funny! Mahalo for all the kind words - it is alway SO encouraging to her good things on the ol' TC! Put the final cracks and edges on the skulls:

Now they get to dry for a week or so while I work on the next few mugs. More photos soon!

Thanks again -
VanTiki

Awesome as usual. Good job!

Off to din-din, just wanted to get this posted really quick. It's a Work In Progress shot of my next Musical Tiki Mug (there is an ocarina built into the base). This is as far as I got today - I'll be adding more detail to the big guy (and I mean big - the biggest mug I've made to date) and texturing/aging him a bit tomorrow AM after he's dried out a tad. A sprinkle of "Hawaiian style" in a vantiki mug.

Mahalo for peeking!

VanTiki

Looks kool - check out those chompers!

Whats an ocarina?

Okey Dokey -

Here is the final sculpt of my next musical mug! You can see the mouthpiece you use to play him poking out of the back of the mug on the bottom.

and here he is next to a Pongo Log mug for scale (note - he will be shrinking 12% by the time he is dried out and fired - still my biggest mug yet by far):

I'm really digging this big guy. Can't wait to get some glaze on him! He is a one-of-a-kind mug, just like my first musical mug (Tooty Tikki Tavy).

Mahalo for peeking!
VanTiki

Whats an ocarina?

An ocarina is a simple clay flute - here is a link with more info. Any Zelda fans out there know what I am talkin' about :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocarina

VanTiki

I'm dig'in that big 'ol bad ass boy, sign me up for one! HiPhiPaHuLA!!

Van Tiki-
Your shit is OFF THE HOOK! Glad I checked out this thread......whewwww. You work hard! Keep it up.

squid

Wow!!! I'm impressed. I definitely have to have one of those. They really are works of art. Now, if only you could simplify the manufacturing process with one of those Tesla Devices like I saw in "The Prestige"...

OK - Here are 2 new guys... Haven't thought of a name for them yet - but they are based on a "candle cover" volcano that I did a few years ago. Traveling Jones wanted to expand on the design, and I finally got around to making it for him. I ended up making 2 - as I wanted to try a few different techniques for putting this new mug together. They bot turned out A LOT bigger than I expected - and due to their shape, they will hold quite a few ounces of poison. With this in mind, I ended up placing several straw holes in them, so 4 or 5 fellow vulcanologists can sip the geothermal ethers together.

First up is Traveling Jones' re-design of my mug. This guy is BIG - it has 2 chambers - the top of the mug (the cinder cone, if you will) has a small reservoir to fill with high-powered stuff for flame effects. Below the top chamber is the larger main chamber for your drinkable spirits. On the back of the mug you will see an opening to this second chamber (large enough for pouring and cleaning) as well as 2 additional straw holes.

Next up is the smaller of the two (and by "smaller", I mean "less big"). It is a single chamber volcano mug with 4 straw holes for you and your friends.

And finally I wanted to get a shot to show the scale of these twin peaks - I grabbed a can of soda from the fridge and snapped this:

Travelling Jones gets first pick - and the second mug will be erupting on eBay in time for x-mas! :)

Mahalo!
VanTiki

http://www.vantiki.com

[ Edited by: VanTiki 2006-10-28 11:16 ]

you've done it again, vt! very cool. please put me down for one, plus i still want a pongo with white teeth. the new ocarina is looking good too.

VANTIKI...you are off da charts and sailing in open waters! The Ku ocarina and this fella are MASSIVE! Dang da Hilo tremors musta shook the dust outta more than jus' da shelves AND clay must be flyin' around your studio like pizza dough ona Saturday night!!! :D

Keep'em coming cuz, you been away too long!!!

-AND- for those that missed it the first time around, here's VanTiki's "TooTy Tiki Tavi"...NOW I can tooot my own mug!!! :)

"Whistle while you drink, tooty-toot-toot-tooty-toot!!!" :lol: Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

I know I say it all the time, but MA-HA-LO (in a big cheesy sing-song group luau chant voice) for everyones kind words and encouragement. It means a lot coming from such talented artists and tiki connoisseurs.

I updated the above post about the volcano mugs - adding some descriptions for the photos. Gonna do a few old-school Pongo Logs this morning and that will be it for this batch! A week or two to dry out, then bisque fire followed by glaze and final firing. I'll keep everyone posted!

VanTiki

PS - here is one of the original Volcano candle covers from 2003 - you put him over a tea candle and his eyes, nose, teeth, and cracks all over his back let the light shine thru. Looks neat:

here you can see that the new volcanoes are a tad larger than the original!

Ah Jonesey, you're a connoisseur! :wink: Nice to see some different pics of tooty, he wasn't around long. These new volcano guys are a great development - I dig how distinctive your style is VanTiki, there's no way these would be mistaken for anyone else's work. I am going to have to work something out with you soon!

Awesome, awesome mugs mate :)

For those of you who haven't purchased a mug.... it's well worth it. These mugs have weight and when they're on a shelf with other tiki mugs...they command your attention. Mine finally had to come down off the communal shelf and stand by himself.

Aloha All -

Time for a VanTiki Update! A week of rain slowed down the drying process quite a bit. The big batch of mugs is almost done drying - here is a close up of the "sleeping army" of tiki goodness:

I am going to take Traveling Jones' advice and shape a few more mugs in the week ahead to try and satisfy any Xmas demand. I will be doing a few more unique critters for the next kiln load - and I think that that will be all I have time for (when you take into account drying time, glazing, and shipping) before Santa takes off.

Working on a second "dual chamber" volcano mug - this guy is drying out a bit (as I type) before I can finish up his texture/details:

I've been getting a lot of e-mails and PM asking for these mugs - to keep things fair (and to ease my guilt!) I am gonna be putting the mugs up on e-bay. That way I figure everyone can get a shot at them - hope I don't ruffle too many feathers!

Trader Tom, Kingstiedie, Paipo, Traveling Jones, Hewey, and Traveling Lizard - Mahalo for the encouragement!

VanTiki