Benzart 's, Last, most recent thread

On 2007-03-22 21:18, tikimecula wrote:
It's funny how every time I look at your thread Ben, I feel the need to go Carve. Your work is true inspiration for the rest of us!

Funny, I was thinking the same thing! :)

Amy

[Tipua, YES it Was a mummified head in the end. He started out as a Maori chief and didn't make it(I guess you could say he passed on )and was then turnd into a mummified head as that's what I felt he looked like as he was taking Re-shape. I wasn't sure I could pull it off and i Did see that picture of yours along with Many more. ...The wood is called "Chocolate Maple"

Awwww! I get you now! You were saying that your carving didn't start out as a mummified head, but after some accidents, and due to some later re-shaping - and the influence of some talent/spirits of the ancient ones - it turned into the mummified head! Right. Sorry, I'm a little slow on the uptake occasionally.

Your ta moko are fantastic (both on your head carving, and your moai)! Where did you learn the designs? Are they copied or your own interpretation? They look very authentic.

And why is chocolate maple named chocolate maple? It doesn't look like a dark wood as the name seems to suggest...

Thanks Amy, So What did I make you carve? :) Just another a
Tipua Thanks too. It was a complicated journey so you're allowed to be slow at grasping it. All my Moko are Maori inspired designs which are of my Own design, usually designed to enhance the flow of the face it is being applidesign of the overall piece. However the design usually is made up as it goes, so I really don't have a drawing of what the piece will look like until it is completed.
The Chocolate Maple does darken up a bit with just a hint of brown but I think it may be just a ploy of an eBay seller to make a sale??
Hope this helps.

Coon-Tiki Two is coming July 28 and 29 :) :) :)

On 2007-03-24 05:37, Benzart wrote:

The Chocolate Maple does darken up a bit with just a hint of brown but I think it may be just a ploy of an eBay seller to make a sale??

EBay seller's ploy or not, "chocolate maple" makes me salivate!
I think I'm gonna make me some pancakes...

On 2007-03-21 14:04, Benzart wrote:

Wow Benzart, my jaw hit the ground just now when I saw these. She is looking absolutely phenomenal... just way too awesome!

--
zombiepops

Hey Z-Pops, I'm Really glad you like her, she's coming right along! Thanks.

Here is a Hula Girl update from today. Most of the carving is finished, now it's just the fun part, 100grit, 150 grit, 200 grit, 350 grit 400 grit 600 grit 800 grit 1000 well you get the picture. fortunately this is a fairly Soft piece of jade so I'm expecting little resistance.

very cool,Benz- very cool. all those different grits are a testimony to your patience/profesionce. not a word i know, but DIG IT!

Breathtaking Ben!
And at that scale... it seems you have
won the favor of the Ancient Ones!
Awesome!
You're batting a Thousand!
Out of the Ballpark! :)

Damn Ben! That is nutz! And for a wedding cake you say? Aack, watch those fingers! I told you those were boobs!

-G

Thanks Greentikipat, I haven't Gone through ALL those grits with this piece Yet, so I may not be deserving of that praise in the end, but thanks Anyway.

LLT, Thanks, Heaps, and it seems the Ancients ARE helping here since this is my First dancing Hula Girl and I promise you they seem to be enjoying some parts more than others. :)

Thanks GMANG, I Knew that all along, but was trying to throw the Ancient guyz off the path.

Thanks everyone!

There is Magic in your hands :wink:

Very good

you got some detail in there alright. cant wait for more.

Awesome work.

Great stuff Benz, you managed yet again to pack some detail into the piece, love the flowing lines.
Regards
Flynny

Wow Great challenge this hula girl! She's looking great, Can't wait to see more!

Thanks everyone, Not much time now but here are a few pic's until later tonight when I'll shoot some more.

Whoa Ben, she's looking beautiful! I can't believe how much detail is in it, especially the flowers and the face.

Lovely work Ben!
She's a very charming young lady. I love her Mona Lisa-like smile, and how her hair flows down her body to become lost amongst the strands of her grass-skirt. I also like her boobies! :D

Beautiful work, Ben, She rocks :wink:

Thanks everyone, I'll be starting her dancing partner soon like Maybe tomorrow. Didn't do Anything the whole Weekend, Now I gotta get back to work.

On 2007-03-30 12:55, Benzart wrote:

Phenomenal-- Those hands are perfect. My jaw is hanging.

JP

Thanks again guys,
thought I would straighten up part of my garage today and it turned into an all day affair. I found an empty box 16"X9"X6" which became my Box for "The 80" but I think there may be a tad more than that in it. Lots of faces I haven't seen for a few years and I was amazed that some of them were in there.







My "Tiki Swap" piece:


HappyHappyHappy

Cool pictures, and that hula girl turned out so great!

I'll gladly take some of those "throw-aways" off your hands! :D

Thanks Bete.

P-Tiki, Oh I Don't think so .. I don't remember calling them "Throw aways" either. Nice try though. :) :) :). This IS New territory as I have never posted pictures of these guyz, though tey Have been spoken of here recently. These are all pieces that were stopped for some reason or another. Some just set aside to continue later and got forgotten and some damaged beyond repair at THAT skill level when they were started. I Have pulled a few Nice keepers out of the "Box" in the past. I have Never had them All in one box though. I'm not sure what will happen to them yet but i know one thing they won't be thrown away or anything like that ,,,Yet??? :) :) :) (that smile again)

Benz,

This one is awesome (the face with tongue protruding)!

You should definately dust this one off and continue on with it. It looks just about done anyway,
although perhaps your moko will improve it. Break him out of the 80!

The box of banishment! :lol:

Nice work on the little green babe :D

Now THAT is a box of 80! :D (mine is only about 6x6x3inches :( )
Quite the cornucopia of sizes/styles & wood types & a heap of working hours sitting in there.
*I never thanked you for the assortment of woods you included with the Moko'ed Moai: I will certainly do me a bit of whittlin' one of these play-days...

Thanks for showing us 'the Box'; hope you havent given all of you secrets away though? Nah, Im sure youve still got a few surprises to save the day when the rest of us are having a slack week. So whats on the block at the moment?

Tama :)

The hula girl looks swell, Ben. Nice work.

That hula babe is sweet. Very nice...

The box of 80 - now that represents a lot of hours worked, I'm sure. That is something!

Great stuff ben!

Here is the piece for the Tiki swap.

Oooh! Somebody's gonna be real lucky to get that in the swap!! Your braids are looking great too Benz!

This piece is really looking good, Ben. I still have got things to learn :wink:

Benjamin.

looks great. im sure who ever gets yours will be pretty pumped.
i was thinking of entering that swap but i wanted to wait till i get a little bit better for that. so next swap ill enter

great stuff benz

Very cool!

Jaded, a lovely Hula hands wahine ala moBenZ...now diggin' back into to past, breathing life into wood...awaiting a return under the maestro'z blade...chipping out a moai stoner without missing a beat... Aahhh to be BENZART! :D

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

Benzo,

Have a great time out there. Bring some wood and your hook just incase you start going into chip-withdrawl. I bet the need to carve is gonna get pretty bad after 2 or 3 days :D

Oh, and I love the last rock.

-G

The hula Girl is nothing short of incredible! That's a lot of detail to pack into such a small piece and the face and hands and pose all convey a gentle movement and grace! Was e-mailing Paipo a few days back and he mentioned a friend of his who creates netsukes,those little ivory or bone
carvings...There's a LOT of them in the Asian wing at the La County Art museum...anyways, your detail reminded me of that! The Carving swap gent is gonna make somebody happy guaranteed!
and i agree, your box of 80 has so many beautiful starts...hope you can bring a bunch of them to life in the near future! Thanks for sharing the magic!

Big THANKS to everyone for all the great comments and well wishes. Sorry I forgot to mention to everyone that Sherry and I would be away on a cruise to the Caribbean and we will be back this Saturday!
We are having a great time, See 'ya SOON!!

Ben, you're on vacation, get away from the computer!!! :wink:

Hope you are having a GREAT vacation!

We're Home, It will take me awhile to get caught up. Had a GREAT Time, Saw NO Tikis, NONE, Even in the "MartgueritaVille Tiki Bar".

Welcome back! Did you miss your workshop?

Well!? How wuzzit? Are you all tan and wearing your hair in braids and beads? Didja buy any carvings from the islanders? We wants to know and see pics!

-G

YES I Missed my Shop and tools and Wood and Tikis and Sawdust and Jade dust and, and, and..
There were NO TIKIs Anywhere to be found. I Bought a walking cane carved as a bent over old man that sorta looked like a kavakava man. I'll post pix later. There was a Pirate sculpture where they used Crazy Al as the Model. Even the fiberglass piece looks like his twin brother!
Right now I'm just trying to stand up straight and it's very difficult. I'll be OK in a few daze.

No tiki sightings at all? Wow - Bummer! Hopefully the rest of the trip made up for it. A few pics would be nice!