Basement Kahuna -New Maori Bone Pendant 3/04

Superb! Great detail and a nice 'nicotine stained ivory' kinda patina to it. How large (or small) is it?

BK that Manaia is drop mouth gorgeous! The multi-imagery in detail is absolutely awesome! I suspect a full Maori house panel in scale miniature, soon to be the size of a postage stamp??!! Keep on chislen chisler! :D

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

Thanks, guys..that image is 3 inches.

P.S. the previous two images as well as a Marquesan piece I am working on in my down time will all be part of a limited run resin cast from Gecko's South Seas Arts. Should be in production by Christmas, available through me and on the Gecko website. 60 of each will be made.

Ben, on Ngorieru-I'll give you the book title where I found clear record on these images...The originals are generally less fluid as they were 1-d thousand-year-old rock petroglyphs so you kind of have to interpret the proportion differently for a 3-d carved piece. As soon as I can get back to the shop tomorrow I'll find it for you. It's full of incredible Solomons stuff.

Awsome stuff as usual BK! That Solomon book sounds interesting.

As always, wonderful stuff, Dave......

Amy

Very cool piece.

Dave... great to see you back to such cool stuff again. And while the time off for you was filled with hardship, it has made you more passionate about your craft and that really shows. Your work blew doors off in the old TC days... these days... out of this world. A style so refined.... you are channeling ancients.

Now... if we could just get our beloved Gecko back to show us a thing or two.... :wink:

Keep up the killer work man.

Thanks, Dave. You were there from the old carving post days, too, doing great stuff. Shootz. Here's the easy mask I produced for Marketplace. This one's not typical for me, heavier on the power tools, but simple and nice.

Cool masks!

Hey BK, do you have another job, or do you carve full-time?

Yep...full time tiki carver now. I guess I'm in it for keeps!

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna 2006-11-18 17:31 ]

As full time as a chaotic guy like me can be, that is!

On 2006-11-18 17:30, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Yep...full time tiki carver now. I guess I'm in it for keeps!

Good on you mate. You can be proud to have achieved that; I know its not the 'safest' way to earn your crust. Hope all goes well & prosperous!

I saw an interview with a young business entrepreneur a week or two back & this guy put success down to 3 things:

1)-Youve got to be doing something that you find easy & others find difficult... ie; youve got to be naturally good at it.

2)-It must be something you thoroughly enjoy & would be doing anyway - for no money...

3)-You must give back...

He went into some detail regarding the last point, stating that whatever it is you wish to achieve; you must give first..? The practicalities lost me a little...

Anyhow, you seem to have the first two criteria in spades!

Well done Carver! Tama :)

Nice point Tama...I think BK meets all three criteria...and I am thankful (holiday reference
here) for all of the "givers" On TC....

Thanks, Tam, and thanks Conga...It's feast or famine...and governed a lot by how much you feel like carving this day or that. Motivation is a killer sometimes. I can't do it unless the mana is right...if I force myself my product slips, and I don't like any even regular line Basement Kahuna stuff leaving this shop unless it is on fire. Anything worth doing is worth doing with all you've got creatively, mentally, and physically. Keeping the output original, interesting, new and different and avoiding repetition as much as possible takes a lot of digging around in the noggin as well, but the clients deserve every iota, because they work just as hard to earn their money as I do. I'm thankful and truly blessed that people like what I do. It's been one happy creative accident right after another that made me good at carving. I wouldn't trade the art form for any other.

Excellent work as usual BK. Hope you had an excellent turkey day. I spent mine with our son in Birmingham Alabama.Thought about going by to see you but it would have been far out of the way. Next time for Sure...Nice Work

Anytime, Ben...Open invite.

Here's a Marquesan Bone image just finished for a local client

Beautiful! Im glad you are posting jewellery again; makes me feel more at home & easier to relate to than all of the TC Big Stuff.

Ka pai! Tama

Really nice pendant in marquesan style for your client.
How many ? :wink:

Ben

One of a kind on the jewelry items!

And thanks, Tama. It gives me a nice break from inhaling wood chips.. :)

On 2006-11-27 11:17, Basement Kahuna wrote:
[img]

Nice!
JP

What kind of bone do you use for something like that? How do you prepare it?

Another excellent piece BK, your bones are getting better and better. Not sure about the two-tone plait though, what kind of feedback are you getting on it from your customers?

Very nice.

Pappy...that piece is in cowbone. Shaped on a bench grinder...Ben-they loved it, but good to hear some honest constructive criticism out of you finally! Bete-thanks hope you are enjoying your piece, and thanks-you're a patient, good client!

Ben, The book I mentioned with the Solomon Islands images is called Polynesian and Oceanic Designs, by Gregory Mirow.

Beautiful, precise piece BK! Good job!

ST

Sandwiched between the Gope board and the Maori moulding sample is one of my funnier items...I made one of these headhunter trophies for that Haole Sneaky place a while back and it was a big hit. Hard to find skulls that are realistic enough...

On 2006-12-01 15:57, Basement Kahuna wrote:

Too funny. That's great.

JP

Cool piece BK. I Love it.

Now THAT'S what I need on my workshop door! Wish I'd thought of that before cutting a hole in it... (so almost-wife can reach in & undo the latch keeping me safe from rugrat attack!)

Maybe if I plug the hole with a skull I wont even have to lock it..?

Great idea!

Tama

You mean it's not a real human skull? I would expect nothing less than the real thing from you!
Very nice and fun BK, always enjoy your new stuff.

Human skulls kinda illegal :) The med models are slightly smaller, but look similarly gruesome...

very cool!!! lol, makes ya smile :)

Amy

love it that is my kind of piece keep up the good old tradition bk

Thanks, Marcus and Amy.. Kinda has that old Clifton's/Don The Beachcomber feel I guess....People used to get a kick out of the last one.

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna 2006-12-04 21:24 ]

I Really love that last one too BK, where you hiding your new stuff? I Know you have to be carving. We need some of that BK Magik!!

Very (never thought I would use this word) 'Piratey' like mystical and dark, but, very interesting and appealing to the psyche.

Very nice BK

Did you come up with this ? or was it requested as it is?

Mahalo

McTiki

Here's a double Marquesan fan handle image. This one and my last two (Ngorieru image/Maori Storage House image) are headed Gecko's way

I Like it, They look like twinz. Where can I find your Web Addy?

BK!!!
Im back brah (read my posts!) and Im not surprised your still kickin' okole brah!!! It'll take me months to go back and see everything I missed and the welcome Ive recieved so far has made dis bruddah's heart smile!!!!

Ill PM you soon brah!

Aloha and mahalo for your kokua and support!!!

Malama Pono!

Vince! Good to hear from you! I have something sitting on my workbench for you! Hope all is well, brah. Aloha.

On 2006-12-11 17:53, Basement Kahuna wrote:

Nice work as usual. Is this your design or what was your inspiration?

We need a big carving from you soon.

JP

Here is a Marquesan bone hair ornament similar to ones seen in the Met exhibit...this one is for Mr. Bigbrotiki. The second object is a scrimshaw piece...actually made from a real 19th century sailor's net needle. Vince, this one's for you, braddah. Something to keep in your pocket to keep the wind in your sails as you move on. I was waiting for your return to give it to you...I know that road you've been down and how hard it is. Granted I'm not quite up to the skills of the scrimshaw scratchers of old!