Queen K Update Sept. 10th page 16 new bone &pig mug

Excellent Queenie. Definitely one of your Best ones so far. The braid looks tight too.
I have found the Artificial sinew that pDrake posted from Paipo, works like a charm. Paipo mentioned something about keeping the braid under your finger and thumb as you go, alternating hands . It didn't make sense until I did it and that really helps. You are doing great!

thanks Ben, I have been practicing the braiding too. I have also tried carving some other materials, but rock seems to be my medium....

by the way, the lono is great!

Amy

Nice work Amy! What's your toggle on there? Looks a lot like the quartz stones we get on the beach here...

i understand about the diamond discs. the ones i use have a short mandrel. they were also not cheap. i broke some of the heavy duty cut off wheels and those pieces can fly off fast. i've only been using one wheel since i bought the pricey ones and i run it at a pretty low speed. it takes a little longer, but still cuts pretty good. always do it under running water and always wear eye protection with them. (i just bought a magnifying lamp with a 6" wide lens. with that in between me and the work i feel pretty safe.)

thanks paipo

On 2007-01-15 12:45, Paipo wrote:
Nice work Amy! What's your toggle on there? Looks a lot like the quartz stones we get on the beach here...

Hi paipo, yep, a quartz pebble. They are the right size and easy to use. I haven't done anything for a few weeks, I have been so busy at work, so this guy I wear a lot :)

Amy

PS, did you get "anything" in the mail yet?

On 2007-01-15 14:25, pdrake wrote:
i understand about the diamond discs. the ones i use have a short mandrel. they were also not cheap. i broke some of the heavy duty cut off wheels and those pieces can fly off fast. i've only been using one wheel since i bought the pricey ones and i run it at a pretty low speed. it takes a little longer, but still cuts pretty good. always do it under running water and always wear eye protection with them. (i just bought a magnifying lamp with a 6" wide lens. with that in between me and the work i feel pretty safe.)

Thanks......
I will try the shorter mandrel. I also have a master cut flex shaft and have broken the cable twices when the cutting wheel has gotten stuck. I nned a saw, especially on the rock. I have started wearing eye protection too, and tape for my fingers. LOL

It's fun and it's a constant learning experience.

Amy

Hi Amy. I missed this 'swinger', doh!
Good job, very original. It sounds as though you are finding your own approach & tool preferences. Ive said it a million times I know, but there really is no right or wrong way, only personal preferences which evolve with experience or as new techniques are discovered.
A cheap tilesaw (with diamond blade) is a good/quick solution to the trimsaw problem - (I think Ive said that a few dozen times too, heehee)

Keep it up! T3

On 2007-01-23 14:10, Queen Kamehameha wrote:

Hi paipo, yep, a quartz pebble. They are the right size and easy to use. I haven't done anything for a few weeks, I have been so busy at work, so this guy I wear a lot :)

Amy

PS, did you get "anything" in the mail yet?

Nothing yet - I was going to get in touch with you about that but totally forgot (seems to be par for the course lately). How long has it been? I hope some Customs pleb isn't enjoying him/herself at your expense!

Hey paipo,

It has been a good three weeks I would think. I mailed it after Christmas. I hope it gets there, should it take this long?

Amy

If it was sent air it definitely should have been here by now, not to worry...what have you been up to? Long time no pics!

Hi All, Sorry I have not been around, I have been working so much lately, I just haven't had the time to stop by. I have read a lot of the posts I missed and everyone is doing amazing stuff!!!

I did however do another piece this week, It is made from river rock and I hope you like it. I have been practiced my finishing and sanding as well. The pictures taken right before I oiled it.

The eyes are exactly the same, although in the photo, one looks weird, maybe I should practice my photography....lol.

Please let me know what you think, thanks!

Amy

No $hit she can carve! Nice one Amy!

Mahalo

McTiki

uh! I like this last one a lot! Congrats!

Hi All, JUst checking in with a couple of new ones I have been doing. I have been practicing more then doing, but I think it shows. Sorry I haven't been around, I have been working in Vegas alot and had to set up a temporary carving thing in my kitchen....lol

Please let me know what you think

Amy

This is my Moari face, with braided cord and quartz stone. The Face is a made from river rock. The face is actually very smooth, I just continue to take bad photos:(

This was a variation of a moari design I saw, I didn't know how to do the Cris cross, I need to learn this.

Thanks in advance for the feedback

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2007-03-05 15:04 ]

i really like that face. if you're in vegas we should hook up and get a drink. let me know.

Nice! Love the new face, detail is excellent, wow. I really like how it came out, maybe I'll try to do one in wood. :)
Hey, you should think about coming down for one of the San Diego Chop Chop's. :) It would probably be kinda hard for you to carve in a yard, but we could check out your tools or teach you how to use chisels. :) I'd love to see your work in person, stone work just absolutely amazes me.

Amy I Love the fact that you keep plodding along, getting better and better with each new piece. I Love that you are not afraid to try new things and you are quickly developing a style All your Own. These last 3 pieces really show a lot of bold self confidence, keep it up, you are Really doing well.

On 2007-03-05 20:31, Benzart wrote:
Amy I Love the fact that you keep plodding along, getting better and better with each new piece. I Love that you are not afraid to try new things and you are quickly developing a style All your Own. These last 3 pieces really show a lot of bold self confidence, keep it up, you are Really doing well.

Thanks Ben, I haven't had a lot of time, But I have been practicing my detail. Thanks for the encouragement! I am trying a Jade piece for the swap, I haven't had much luck, but thought the swap should be something special.

Perry, thanks, I am in Vegas, PM me your number, It would be great to meet.

Mieko, Thanks, would love to come, once I am in CA for more then a day. I will definately do this! Thanks for the kind words too :)

Clarita, thanks!

McTiki, Much appreciated!

Amy

Kia ora Amy.

Having a permanent, functioning set-up is half the battle won. I know the feeling & practice of working in make-shift 'workshops' & get most unsettled if I havent got one these days :lol:

I love the colour of that first Maori piece. Id be hunting for more of that; it seems very warming & inviting for a piece of stone jewellery. I too can see a style emerging - but need to see more to be sure :wink: Im not so sure Sin City is the place for the timeless, medititive task of stone scratching...

Rock on!
Tama :)

A very beautiful piece Amy!!!!! I love it.

Hi Tama, I agree, that green rock is also the same as the one I did the swinger with. It has great color. and The hei tiki wasn't polished as shown, I will take a pic polished, it came out nice, with deep color. I will look for more of those.

G, thanks for the kind words

Amy

ok, was in blaze of creativity( rock carving in vegas alone on business), here are the hei tiki polished, 2 manaia that I did this week. all are of green river rock. please give me your feedback, I always appreciate it.
Amy

PS, in light of some recent comments on other threads, I would like to state that these pieces are my attempt at my impressions of some New Zealand Art. In no way am I trying to insult or defame such a proud and noble heritage. I do not sell my work yet. I have been reading a great deal on the Moari culture and have been a fan of this Carving forum. Please accept my work as a tribute and an attempt to make something that reflects the heritage that is both mytical and beautiful

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2007-03-16 17:25 ]

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2007-03-16 17:37 ]

Hiya Queenie

Great stuff; I can see you pushing your own bounderies hard & making very fast improvement with each new piece. These latest ones are a lot more complex than your earlier carvings! Brave girl.

*It might be pertinent at this time to state for the record your intentions/stance etc, just so no-one can fling any accusations or get any wrong impressions. Im sure you know what I am talking about.

Rock on Sistah!

Tama :)

Amy, Your last 2 pieces are really Awesome. You have improved SO Much that these 2 look like another artists work. Very Well Done. I'm really Proud of you.

Thanks Tama, I took your advice and added a comment to the post, thanks. and thanks for the kind word...

Benz, thank you, thats the best comment I could have that it doesnt look like mine....lol I went hunting for more of that greenish river rock as Tama or paipo suggested, it is a bit softer and easier for me.I like it. I will post some more this weekend as I have some drawn up, I also finished that piece I put on the swap, my first Jade....Thanks again, the comments and support really keep me trying to get better

Amy

Great work Amy, it always impresses me that you tackle fairly ambitious and challenging designs with lots of openwork and detail - stuff I probably wouldnt even attempt myself! The mask you posted above is fantastic for the level of experience you have. I'd be interested in what tools and process you're using as I think you could get these even better with few more tips and tricks....
Sorry I haven't responded sooner because I have been checking your thread regularly, but I don't seem to find time to offer as much input as I'd like these days.

As an aside (and really not wanting to dig into a festering can of worms), I think the carving forum will become a pretty sad place if carvers have to post a disclaimer every time they want to submit work based on or copied from indigenous art. Isn't that what Tiki is all about? Where does it end? We all do it!
Let's just get on with making and posting what we enjoy and not let a minor conflict end up tainting every thread....

Amy
Those last two are looking real sweet and complex to make I guess, you are moving forward at a rapid rate.
I too am off to the beach this morning to look for some cheap practice material, although it's forecasting snow!!!!
Where's the pic of the Jade piece.
Best Regards
Flynny
Shame about the disclaimer, I've stuck one on my stuff

WOW Amy! Your latest stuff is incredible! Your detail is amazing, and the cut outs you are getting are just great! I'd love to see your stuff in person - I'm heading to Vegas soon, so maybe we can meet up for drinks and pendant drooling over. :) I'll send you a PM.

hi Flynny, More pictres later today. I will post the pictures of the jade piece that I was doing for the swap, it came out ok, I think I will swap with one of my rock carvings though as That is really "me" and they are better...

Thanks Mieko, Would love to hook up if I am in town, I have a trip to Palm beach at the ed of the month maybe, will check PM, thanks for the cool feedback, would love to show the stuff in person, I think it looks better then the pictures.

Paipo, Thanks, I will post pictures of my tools too today. I have really been trying to get better. I have never been good at going slow. I found a lot of pictures on the web of pieces that have been created, s I am coping some of thosetill I get better. I love to do the big deep cuts. :)

Thanks all,

Amy

Amy

ok, saturday update.....

These 2 pictures are for Paipo, on what I use. the tools in the box,(an old jewelry box) are how I take them on the road with me. The carousel has all the cutting wheels and diamond burrs I use regularly on the stone. The burrs, in the pinkish case are the really good ones that I use for final cleaning.

This is a catalog picture of the master carver I have that use for all the big work. the hand dremel in the picture above I use for the detail work. My Master carver is Home. It's hard to take everything, so I do all the cutouts at once and do all the rest with the hand dremel on the road.

Here is a piece of Jade that Tama sent me. I was going to use for the swap, but changed my mind. here is the swap picture I had posted and the final piece, It came out ok, But in person, I think I am still better at the rocks for now. I used a thicker hemp for the cord, that came out good.

Here is the picture of the three next pieces I will be working on. I have trimed the stone and drew the images on the stone which is the darker greenish river rocks. The piece in the middle is a dark piece of jade. The neighbors are starting to wonder what I am doing staring at the rock in the front of the condo....lol

Thanks again, I feel like I am getting a bit better, especially at my photo's...lol
Please keep the advice coming and any help getting to the next level is greatly appreciated!

Amy

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2007-03-18 23:28 ]

Amy, Just keep getting better like you are doing and you will get there. Your Cords are Definitely getting better. You could get some of that Artificial Sinew like Paipo uses. PDrake posted a link for it a while back. That made all the difference in the world for me right there. As far as your carvings, just keep the lines visible as you go and go slowly and remember that every piece is practice for the next one and Practice, practice, Practice!

Thanks Ben, I am starting to feel better about the tools too. I just finished 2 of three I have in the picture above, I will post pics, but they seem go smoother and my hands don't hurt as much, hopefully I am learning the tools better

Amy

I like Amy's stuff

because it's not perfect.

The rest of these out there are too perfect!

Looks like you all are casting them in molds!!!

Arrrrrrrrr!!!!

Thanks Boo, I think....lol

I was shooting for :not perfect: :wink:

Amy

Here are some pictures of the pieces I am working on or finished this week.

Here's the Greenish river rock manaia I finished with Braided cord and river pebble toggle. I need to still redo the end of the toggle, theres an extra knot in it, but it's close to done.

This next one is made from a piece of black jade sent to me by Tama, thanks Tama!I am still try the criss cross on this piece, not yet perfect.

This last one is a hei tiki I started Thursday from a piece of Green Jade from Montana. It is Greenish shades with dark spots and some blackish coloring as well. I have a lot of face cleaning to do on this piece but wanted to share it here for some feedback.

Thanks all for the feedback , I appreciate more then you know.
Benz, I ordered the sinew on ebay, when it comes I will try it, thanks for the heads up on that.

Amy

[ Edited by: queen kamehameha 2007-03-24 19:36 ]

Hi Amy. The repetoire just gets larger & larger. Good to see you are still pushing yourself & taking great big bites. This will fast-track your education for sure. I have noticed that some people like to really take their time when learning whilst others leap right in and try new/difficult things: thats you! If you keep on aiming for as high as you can, your skills will improve quickly. In my opinion, the hardest part is coming up with something with a bit of novelty/creativity, finding a vision that feels fresh & unique. I have the feeling you will develop your own style/approach in due course & just need to refine some of your technical skills; the easy 'learnable' bit.

The Manaia shows your potential very well, but also tells me that you are trying to achieve a lot of the larger shaping with burrs that are too small for the job. If you were to revisit that piece using a larger burr, working dry & slow (dust mask!) you would probably find that you could 'iron out' a lot of those ripples/bumps. Work carefully in order not to hit/alter any of the detailed areas & to not reinforce any of the lower pitted areas. Is this making sense? Try it on a scrap piece if you think it a better idea. Another method (a little more laborious perhaps?) to smooth those shapes out is to use 'rubbing-sticks'; basically cut-down blade sharpening/'whet' stones into small handheld rasps. These are worked wet or dry over the form to achieve the same result. Probably a better result & certainly a more authentic (neolithically speaking) technique. Once you see the difference you will never go back. You will have the same forms only they will be that much crisper/sharper, better! Just to forewarn you though: once you start getting down into the nitty-gritty of this sort of crisping up you may never stop; the degree to which you can go never ends and this is where the Master proves his/her salt... It is an unavoidable path that the real carver must face sooner or later -if they really are on a mission to push their skills. As mentioned earlier, once you 'click' to a couple of technical tricks I think we will see some exciting work from you.

Hope this helps.

Tama :)

amy, you're trying stuff i'm still afraid to attempt. it's really looking great. i'm looking forward to meeting you and swapping story. you have a very honest, cavilier style. it's great. maybe we can trade a piece.

oops, just saw that ben told you about the sinew. i'll bring you some.

man, i just can't believe that you are stretching so much. it's great!

[ Edited by: pdrake 2007-03-24 21:40 ]

Thanks Tama, I am trying reall hard on the cleaning and it doesnt seem to be happening I will try larger burrs adry and see if this works , do I do it at a slow speed as well? I really worked on that Manaia. It also seems some rocks act differently then others, I am going to experiment with some others. Thanks Tama, When i did the Manaia, I could tell I was getting better with Shapes, but detail and cleaning escapes me.... I will pracyice more.

Thanks perry, will call you This week when I get up to Vegas, It will help to talk to someone in person and show them.

Amy

Hi All, more bad photo's, but i was able to start a new piece in the last few weeks. Sorry about the photo's but those of you who actually have one of my piece knows, they are a bit better in person

Let me know your thoughts

River rock, with my crude drawing of 3 warriors in a ship

Ok, realized that the arms were to short for 3 warriors, after cutting all 3 out, I decided it would be one lone warroir would be better.

Here it is with a piece of plastic where the club will go when I carve it. I havent finished it or detailed it yet, but wanted to post it

thanks for looking

Amy

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2007-05-20 11:11 ]

Nice work Queen. A real treat after carving too late in the CongaLounge. I
stumbled into the house...decided to make a quick check of TC for something cool...
and here it is. I love it.

wow! really nice work Amy, somehow I missed this post and did not realize you carve. I tried carving stone once and decided after an hour it took to long to see real progress so I gave up. Wish I had the paitence and steady hand cause I love the look of rock carvings.

Conga, Thank you that is great praise coming you, I love your work and it means alot that you stop by to look and post, thank you.

Keigs, Thank you for checking out my post, You know I have some of your work and I appreciate your comments greatly. Thank you too.

Thanks Guy, much appreciated

Amy

Sorry to kill your thread Amy, but.........

Hey Ken!

Got to butcher one of your tiki's last week.

Hope you don't mind........buddy.....pal.....!

check it out here http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=20143&forum=18&start=0

On 2007-05-19 23:46, keigs20 wrote:
wow! really nice work Amy, somehow I missed this post and did not realize you carve. I tried carving stone once and decided after an hour it took to long to see real progress so I gave up. Wish I had the paitence and steady hand cause I love the look of rock carvings.

Amy Rocks!

p.s.

I know.

Shut up Ben!!

( sorry. haven't had coffee in a week and it just kicked in!)

Ben, stop killing my threads!

Ben, Go wreck a ship.
Amy, Excellent guy in a boat. I sure am glad that you are not giving up on your carvin gs 'cause you are really coming around with some Nice stuff. Do you use a magnifier when you carve? It rally helps me see all the stuff I missed without it. One of those that strap to your head like a tennis hat works great.
Keep up the great work.
Oh Yeah, your back yard is to die for!

QK,

That ship is great! Matter of fact, the whole yard looks really fun. Put in a roller coaster and I'll be over!

-G

[ Edited by: GMAN 2007-05-20 18:49 ]

OMG Amy, I love the boat and warrior! Nice job, and very unique! We missed you at the chop on Saturday. :)

Hi Mieko, Thanks, but that flight was very early and I needed to stay close. It was good actually, I painted the ship and stained all day. I will make one of the chops, maybe we can even do one out at my place, I have the room. :)

Amy