Don't read, just BS here! Seriously!

Your tiki-spoon is awesome!

Your carvings have so much personality!

Those guys are very cool. I can't wait to see what you turn out when you get some chisels!

Mr.Hoptiki

Hey Sneaky

I know that in a previous post that you said you didn't mean anything more than a helpful suggestion so here is my observation of your self described "carvings"

Sorry haven't read you postings here but
Your "carvings" look like the one time my dog chewed on the leg of my parent's chair. My parent's weren't too happy with her for that. Seriously the cuts look to be done with teeth and not anything remotely sharp or for use in wood. Do you really wear that stuff around your neck or out in public???

Tipua,

thanks man, you're too kind!

Mr. and Mrs. BPHoptiki,

thanks! I'm looking forward to getting some chisels too. I appreciate the comps!

Teakey,

Thank you for the critique of my work. Even if criticism is put forward in a hostile way it's still good to listen and discern if there is some truth that you can learn from.

As you are an intelligent and mature individual I'm sure that you meant it in a friendly way and that it wasn't simply retribution for the message I posted in your "Teakey's Critiques" Collecting thread.

When I look at my carvings I have to (for the most part) agree with your analysis that they look pretty much like a dog chewed chair leg.
That is one of the many reasons I'm not starting my own blog in the Collecting forum called "Sneaky's Critiques". In this blog that I'm not starting I won't compare my carvings against BenZart, BK, G-Man, Paipo, Tamapoutini and the other fine carvers here. I also won't describe myself as "One of the greats". I won't claim that any of those who cast resin pendants (Gecko maybe) should reproduce one of my carving designs on a large scale, as you've indicated TikiFarm should make one of your mugs. I won't call a much more experienced carver a Punk (unless they have a really cool Mohawk), or accuse them of making a "punk move" if they try to give me some valuable advice on the business of carving or for that matter on life. I won't call my work "priceless" and I will not lay claim to secret carving knowledge that few others possess. I think you're getting the general message here.

For my part I WILL try to use sharp tools and improve my craft in future carvings as long as I keep carving. I hope they will look better soon.

Aloha!

S
T

As BK said in a recent post, hone your skills first and then post.

"When I look at my carvings I have to (for the most part) agree with your analysis that they look pretty much like a dog chewed chair leg"-Sneaky

Great, we can agree on things still. Take care and God bless-tea

Teakey,

BK is a great carver. I haven't seen that particular quote but if it was made I'd have to say that I'd hate to see only experts posting. It was great seeing G-Man's progression from chainsaw hobbyist to kick ass chiseler. Same goes for many others. For my part I just don't think that amateurs should tell the artists how to work, that they are controlling the direction of the experts work or even that they are "the best" and talk themselves up constantly.
I'm all for any advice etc. as well and it's hard to get tips if you don't share work. If someone gives me a tip I won't tell them that they are scared because "I'm hungrier than them" and they can't take the competition.

Speaking of BK, here is a BK quote that comes to mind when thinking about you:

Quote:

Quote:
On 2007-03-27 22:04, Tiki Diablo wrote:
Teakey, you gonna make it to Hukilau this year? If you do, we are just going to have to drink a few cold ones together and shoot the shit then.
End quote:

You're just trying to recruit him as a bodyguard, player...

End quote.

Thanks again. Keep up the paintings, they look pretty good.

S
T

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-25 01:22 ]

Good on ya, Sneaky! You're certainly the better man here!

As much as criticism is welcomed by newbies like you and I, there's a difference between the helpful advice and constructive criticism offered by many of the more experienced carvers out there, and the just plain bitchiness offered by TeaKEY. Well done Sneaky for not taking the bait and lowering yourself to TeaKEY's level!
I enjoy viewing any new carvings you post on this site, and reading the comments on your thread proves I'm not the only one.
I think your carvings are endowed with a lot of character, and even though you're new to carving like me, I can tell they're only gonna get better and better!
Keep up the carving and the posting!

constructive criticism.....by those who care ....that's what I'll expect when I finally start posting my own carvings .....I have learned much by some harsh critique as I went thru photography school but ALWAYS was treated with respect by those who taught me well.....from the primitive can emerge greatness....I would expect and hopefully receive such mean spirited commentary in a personal message rather than in a public forum...so keep the faith......... Aloha

So, when you have your dogs chew your carvings, do you use a bigger dog for the initial rough-out and a smaller dog for the detail, or do you just chew the detail in yourself because you have more control? Have you ever considered using a rat for the small detail? Rats are good chewers and fairly trainable, and aren't as distracted as dogs, so you can keep them chewing longer. Or are you purist and use dogs strictly? GROG cannot afford too many dogs to carve, so if you had to choose only one kind of dog, which would you suggest?

On 2007-04-25 04:49, Tipua wrote:
As much as criticism is welcomed by newbies like you and I, there's a difference between the helpful advice and constructive criticism offered by many of the more experienced carvers out there, and the just plain bitchiness offered by TeaKEY. Well done Sneaky for not taking the bait and lowering yourself to TeaKEY's level!

He may be 6'10", but you've shown who's the BIGGER man.

On 2007-04-25 05:58, GROG wrote:
So, when you have your dogs chew your carvings, do you use a bigger dog for the initial rough-out and a smaller dog for the detail, or do you just chew the detail in yourself because you have more control? Have you ever considered using a rat for the small detail? Rats are good chewers and fairly trainable, and aren't as distracted as dogs, so you can keep them chewing longer. Or are you purist and use dogs strictly? GROG cannot afford too many dogs to carve, so if you had to choose only one kind of dog, which would you suggest?

You know, Benzart has 4 dogs. I wonder what he's not telling us?

You're a good man Sneaky. Don't ever give up. Do what you love to do.

On 2007-04-25 06:55, Jungle Trader wrote:
You're a good man Sneaky. Don't ever give up. Do what you love to do.

I completely agree. Don't let anyone tell you not to post your pics here. That's just ridiculous.

GROG.....you ARE an inspiration ! I have 3 German Shepherds and 5 cats (plus all sorts of wild creatures in surrounding woods) ........will I have to file more tax forms with the extra help?.....yeah ,the kind of help I need is different!

"Well done Sneaky for not taking the bait and lowering yourself to TeaKEY's level!"

Too Bad you probably didn't see the other thread where he did post. Oh well.

Sneaky's dog chewed chair leg tikis, "priceless"(Title of Thread)

Great title, the "priceless" part must be Grog.

On 2007-04-25 08:08, teaKEY wrote:
Great title, the "priceless" part must be Grog.

GROG not sure what that supposed to mean, but GROG worth at LEAST two cents.

Here’s what we use.

Best darn carving tool we’ve ever had!

Mrs Hoptiki

You guys are killin' me. The bad thing about posting on TC is that you will get alot of unearned praise and very little constructive criticism. I have to agree with TeaKey - sorry.

Now for some helpful comments. It appears that the wood you used was not the best for a beginner - let me guess, very hard with a heavy grain. Most beginners pick up any random piece of wood and just dive in not realizing that they are settng themselves up for disappointment. My suggestion is to invest in some Basswood or Balsa to start off with (can be found at any wood carving establishment). These woods are VERY soft and carve well. You will find Basswood is perhaps the best for beginners. I enjoy the "dog chewed" stuff as much as the really good stuff - so don't get discouraged, you just need the right material. Keep at it and KEEP POSTING PICTURES!! This forum would be bland if newbies didn't post!!

Alohastation,

Thanks for your honesty. I think they are in truth somewhere between a chew toy and a tiki. I'm glad to hear the bad with the good. I think getting some softer wood and some tools other than exacto knives is probably a good start. I knew they weren't good but I figured it would be fun to show some pix and maybe get some tips.

No excuses though, I did spend quite awhile on the last one. Cross grain fuzzy areas were a problem. I read this could happen when carving monkeypod when I did a search the other night. I might try smoothing these last two but I don't know that they are worth the effort. On the other hand a native Hawaiian woman who does Tapa/tattoo like paintings at the studio I sometimes paint at really liked my tikis. So I guess they are at least recognizably tiki chew toys.

On 2007-04-25 08:18, GROG wrote:

On 2007-04-25 08:08, teaKEY wrote:
Great title, the "priceless" part must be Grog.

GROG not sure what that supposed to mean, but GROG worth at LEAST two cents.

Priceless...

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-25 13:19 ]

On 2007-04-25 04:49, Tipua wrote:
Good on ya, Sneaky! You're certainly the better man here!

As much as criticism is welcomed by newbies like you and I, there's a difference between the helpful advice and constructive criticism offered by many of the more experienced carvers out there, and the just plain bitchiness offered by TeaKEY. Well done Sneaky for not taking the bait and lowering yourself to TeaKEY's level!
I enjoy viewing any new carvings you post on this site, and reading the comments on your thread proves I'm not the only one.
I think your carvings are endowed with a lot of character, and even though you're new to carving like me, I can tell they're only gonna get better and better!
Keep up the carving and the posting!

Tipua,

Thanks,

your stone carvings were very inspirational. I've still got to finish that pipe. Maybe it will get cri-teakeyed now. It looks a little chewed so far as well.
I read that soapstone and Catlinite i.e. pipestone are comparable hardness/carve wise.

Finkdaddy,

Thanks,

Maybe I'll post pix again after a bit of improvement. I thought the last piece was a step up but see now that perhaps it was bigger but not better.

S
T

On 2007-04-25 08:06, GROG wrote:

Shit!

That does look pretty believable Grog, wish I could say it didn't. S'alright, I'm pretty good at being objective about my own work through my 2D work and can say it's not good, but for a second small carving, it's not terribly bad either. It looks to me like a tiki that got chewed a bit more than a chair leg that got chewed, but Teakey's assesment wasn't all that bad.

Thanks for the visual. I'm sure I won't suddenly shudder and sweat picturing it in my mind the next time I try to carve.

Bas-turd!

On 2007-04-25 04:49, Tipua wrote:
Good on ya, Sneaky! You're certainly the better man here!

As much as criticism is welcomed by newbies like you and I, there's a difference between the helpful advice and constructive criticism offered by many of the more experienced carvers out there, and the just plain bitchiness offered by TeaKEY. Well done Sneaky for not taking the bait and lowering yourself to TeaKEY's level!
I enjoy viewing any new carvings you post on this site, and reading the comments on your thread proves I'm not the only one.
I think your carvings are endowed with a lot of character, and even though you're new to carving like me, I can tell they're only gonna get better and better!
Keep up the carving and the posting!

:)

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-25 13:44 ]

On 2007-04-25 05:29, Hula Cat wrote:
constructive criticism.....by those who care ....that's what I'll expect when I finally start posting my own carvings .....I have learned much by some harsh critique as I went thru photography school but ALWAYS was treated with respect by those who taught me well.....from the primitive can emerge greatness....I would expect and hopefully receive such mean spirited commentary in a personal message rather than in a public forum...so keep the faith......... Aloha

I certainly agree. A friend of mine told me to not react defensively to criticism, it can't hurt you unless you let it. It can certainly help you even if put forward in a mean-spirited way. If you listen you may hear the corn kernel of truth in the nugget of shit (she didn't say that part) that helps you improve yourself.

I live in Florida, so this is common here.

wplugger

On 2007-04-24 18:20, teaKEY wrote:
As BK said in a recent post, hone your skills first and then post.

"When I look at my carvings I have to (for the most part) agree with your analysis that they look pretty much like a dog chewed chair leg"-Sneaky

Great, we can agree on things still. Take care and God bless-tea

Teakey,

If you really felt that way I don't think you'd have posted "Moai Trio" or some of your other less successful works, unless you were under the impression that they were finely wrought pieces. Perhaps you were, as you made cards for them. It's been good seeing you go from posting those old pieces to some much better pieces more recently.

While we are on the topic of honing your skills before posting, let's discuss your spelling and grammar. If you won't take the time to learn some bedrock spelling and punctuation, then at least use the spell check tool. It would really help you come across in a better light. Hone the spelling (or have spell check hone it), then post. You can also use the quote button to quote rather than always copy-pasting. This would be in line with the philosophy you are so kindly preaching, no?

That is, unless you don't really feel that way and are just reaching for any angle in which to attack my work. As you are so prudent and humble I'm sure this is not the case.

Hoka hey!

S
T

On 2007-04-25 06:02, GROG wrote:

On 2007-04-25 04:49, Tipua wrote:
As much as criticism is welcomed by newbies like you and I, there's a difference between the helpful advice and constructive criticism offered by many of the more experienced carvers out there, and the just plain bitchiness offered by TeaKEY. Well done Sneaky for not taking the bait and lowering yourself to TeaKEY's level!

He may be 6'10", but you've shown who's the BIGGER man.

Thanks Grog! :)

I don't feel that way, never said I did. Just telling you what BK said.

And when you talk about me, try to use examples

On 2007-04-25 06:55, Jungle Trader wrote:
You're a good man Sneaky. Don't ever give up. Do what you love to do.

Thanx JT.

I won't.
Money is sort of a hindrance right now but in time I'll get some tools and craft. Carvers have so much fun over here and I wanted to get in on some of that. I may have posted a turd or two but at least I got the door cracked open to carving.

S
T

Sneaky - You blaze on Brah'dah! ALL carvers have to start somewhere; no matter how good/succesful an artist is, he/she started at the bottom rung & probably produced work they look back on with a bit of embarrassment - I know I do! We all know it is a long journey of discovery that never ends; stay in the game & your work will improve (not that is it so bad now - Ive seen a lot worse around here!). It takes a brave man to step outside of what he is good at/experienced in, & take up something new. Negative comments by ignorant idiots are simply that, ignore them!

Tama :)

As long as we're all being "honest" here....

Sneaky, you know the pendant I sent you in the swap?

Well I uh, I sorta um....didn't REALLY use the hook knife to carve that.....I actually used these:

Instead of clawing my furniture (in a bad way) I have them claw-carving things like that little tray they are working on in the photo above. But I do all of the painting and or staining!! Just thought I should let you know the truth.

On 2007-04-25 14:09, teaKEY wrote:
I don't feel that way, never said I did. Just telling you what BK said.

And when you talk about me, try to use examples

Teakey,
the way the message was worded says you did feel that way-- "As BK said" implies that you are quoting a point that you are in agreement with... See below:

On 2007-04-24 18:20, teaKEY wrote:
As BK said in a recent post, hone your skills first and then post.

"When I look at my carvings I have to (for the most part) agree with your analysis that they look pretty much like a dog chewed chair leg"-Sneaky

Great, we can agree on things still. Take care and God bless-tea

Responding to the second part of your post above, requesting that I use examples when talking about you...

Honestly there are so many examples to work with that I don't think you really want me to do that.
I could endlessly point up your faults but that was never my intent and I only wanted to help you help yourself. I see now that it was not your time.
You'll change, by God, when you are good and ready.
Many friends of mine have told me I think too much of people, give them the benefit of the doubt, too much credit, etc..
I'm going to keep living that way, with hope. I choose to believe that you are basically a good guy who is just awfully ignorant of many truths.
I hope the karma/mana comes back to me and that the world forgives me my missteps.

Peace,

S
T

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-25 15:09 ]

On 2007-04-25 14:25, 8FT Tiki wrote:
As long as we're all being "honest" here....

Sneaky, you know the pendant I sent you in the swap?

Well I uh, I sorta um....didn't REALLY use the hook knife to carve that.....I actually used these:

Instead of clawing my furniture (in a bad way) I have them claw-carving things like that little tray they are working on in the photo above. But I do all of the painting and or staining!! Just thought I should let you know the truth.

8ft,

Thank God it wasn't a rock carving! I'd then know that I got a lil' sumthin' sum' from the litter box! Thanks for the laff. KITI-TIKI rox, I received a compliment while wearing him today.

Let's throw this username out for the lay-dayz, "Kitiki", any takers? No? I thought not.

On 2007-04-25 14:17, Tamapoutini wrote:
Sneaky - You blaze on Brah'dah! ALL carvers have to start somewhere; no matter how good/succesful an artist is, he/she started at the bottom rung & probably produced work they look back on with a bit of embarrassment - I know I do! We all know it is a long journey of discovery that never ends; stay in the game & your work will improve (not that is it so bad now - Ive seen a lot worse around here!). It takes a brave man to step outside of what he is good at/experienced in, & take up something new. Negative comments by ignorant idiots are simply that, ignore them!

Tama :)

Thanks Tama!

I'm going back and forth from being embarassed to thinking they aren't all that bad for first posts. I appreciate your opinion immensely as you are one of the standard bearers around here.
I suppose it would be worse if the tikis didn't embarass me a bit and I thought they were top notch. I'll definitely post here again. And yes I'll keep wearing my chewy tikis, just not as often as I wear 8ft's Kava Kava. Hell I wore one of the sawed off spoon-gun pendants from my other crafts thread for a few days. Lil' square tiki.
I appreciate your empathy and am glad to know that your first tries were not beauties either.

Mucho Mahaloz Brah,

S
T

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-25 15:05 ]

Funny how those who can't, can be the most critical...

On 2007-04-25 15:32, DiGi TiKi 77 wrote:
What did you find, JoshKAT?

JoshKAT made a NO NO.
Bad JoshKAT, very bad. Cover that Sh&t up!!! What the hell is that? Lets take a closer look!

That sh&t looks better then one of Sneaky's Tikis. Bury that thing JoshKAT!!!!!

Digitiki 77's tiki art:

On 2005-06-07 14:33, DiGi TiKi 77 wrote:
Hey guys. Im new to this whole tiki gig but its unique and cool. I've seen sum of your guys stuff and they look awesome,you guys got sum real talent. I'm no good at carving so I decided to make sum "DIGITAL" tiki's. I did both of them on my computer.(i like the blue one better)here they are.

This one is called Lazy Tiki

This one is sgt. tiki

I like the blue one better because it took more work and I drew more of the parts. The green one was mostly shapes and symbols. I hope you guys like my "DIGITAL" tiki. Hit me back with some suggestions or questions etc.

Mahalo

AND

On 2005-06-08 12:21, DiGi TiKi 77 wrote:
hey guys i just made another DIGITAL tiki its called Farmer Tiki. Hope u like it !!

AND

On 2005-06-08 17:51, DiGi TiKi 77 wrote:
The latest - Cool Herb

---

You are definitely out of my league digi tiki 77.

S
T

BTW teakey, couldn't help noticing your comments on shout about the digi tiki 77 post:

"Digi, that post was awsome

I wonder what he'll say to that ."

As Forrest (a highly functional low IQ individual) would say, "That's all I have to say about that." Also... "Stupid is what stupid does".

---

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

EDITED TO CHANGE DIGITIKI TO DIGI TIKI 77, APOLOGIES TO THE REAL DIGITIKI...............................................

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-28 02:47 ]

Digi 77, nice photos

Your photos looks great, can't say that for the SH%T that is in JoshKAT's box.

What is the point of posting pictures that are just above?

Well, I don't know what to say about those. Interesting to note that digitiki came out of posting retirement (10 months) to put his 2c worth in this thread, and he and teaKEY had a little exchange in SHOUT! while it was happening.
Seriously, this schoolyard BS has no place in the carving forum. Sneaky posted his carving here in good faith and has handled the criticism with humour and restraint. One way of "honing your skills" is to post your first pieces and seek advice from other practising artists.
teaKEY, criticism is only of use when it offers something constructive - a point you seem to be missing, even when it has been offered to you in spades. This petty "revenge posting" for a perceived slight in another thread is a waste of server space. Try channelling that energy into something creative.

On 2007-04-23 17:57, teaKEY wrote:
You are right, everyone taking a couple clay courses probably could make a cup. I wish I was lucky enough to take a clay course in high school or YMCA. I did have finger-painting in pre-school there. Those were the days. I could say that most, yes, most people have picked up a paint brush and painted, but most people aren't considered painters/artist. That is a true statement in my eyes. Maybe you have made a ceramic cup, but have you made a tiki mug? And have you made a mug like mine, or my father's? I can't name more than 10 people that have made a hand-built tiki mug, that I have seen. That's 10 people that could be all over the world. 10 people is not
"anyone who has ever taken a summer pottery intro". There is a different too in a painting from when you were five years old and a painting from a working painter. Hopefully a big difference.
[end quote]

I have seen THOUSANDS of hand built mugs, they weren't all tiki mugs, but many of them were well done, and many of them by 5th-12th graders.

You don't need a couple of intro clay courses to hand build a mug, you just need one.

Yes I have hand built a mug. No it wasn't tiki. No it wasn't good enough that I'd compare myself to TikiFarm or Munktiki or Chihuli for that matter.

Yes there is a BIG difference between being a painter at 5 or a Bob Ross watching hobbyist and being a working painter. This is a difference that you should explore in ceramics or anything you wish to do as a means of employment, or if you want TikiFarm to produce one of your mug designs.

**No, there is not a big difference between your work and the work of any teen or adult who has taken one intro. ceramics course. **

You can hand build a nearly true cylinder and then hand build a design around it keeping the symmetry and when done sculpting remove the material for the vessel from the center, or use the cylinder to create a mold that will have a hollow center. You can hand build around a wheel thrown cylinder but you have to learn to use a wheel first.

Alot of work can be done on clay that is slowly dried while it is in various hardnesses. Respected artists have used pieces started on a wheel as a take off point for adding onto for a long time. Yes their work is still art.

You should, as recommended, use the spell check feature, even if it's not perfect.

You should stop worrying so much about the definition of "art" or whose work can be considered "art" and put that energy into creating.

You should stop talking about how great you are and put that energy into making great work.

Peace,

S
T

Sneaky threw the first punch at me but I will end it here, No more energy will be wasted on this guy. And, yes I'm a friend of Digi, he is young guy who is in a wheelchair and does what he can to the best of his ability.

Teakey, I never threw a "first punch" at you, anyone can view the entire exchage in your thread, the quote you posted above was a response to a response.

Aloha!

ST

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

Edited to add teakey's above comments as it appears he is deleting them/editing them

On 2007-04-25 16:01, teaKEY wrote:
Digi 77, nice photos

Your photos looks great, can't say that for the SH%T that is in JoshKAT's box.

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-25 16:57 ]

[ Edited by: sneakytiki 2007-05-02 17:24 ]

Your friend is all class teakey.

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-25 16:55 ]

I am in a wheelchair. I have merosine defecient Congenital Myopathy. I choose to type as little as possible because it is tiring. not everyone in the world is perfect, grammar wise.

[ Edited by: DiGi TiKi 77 2007-04-25 16:36 ]

Digi,

Sorry to hear about your condition. You do good photoshop/editing for a guy with myopathy.

Stick with it.

Peace,

ST

Teakey and digi tiki77,

I've got to admit the joshcat "shit" is pretty funny. It would be nice if you'd stop derailing this thread though.

PS
It's also kinda sick and wrong and pukey. :)

Laters,
S
T

Crank calls? Seriously Digiteakey? Weak!

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra
edited to change digitiki to digi tiki 77

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-27 06:36 ]

GROG not get to check this thread since this morning----whoo what a ride! Sneaky, I bet you don't know how much entertainment that gave the rest of TC.

Don't be emabarrassed by your carvings. Since you're a PROFESSIONAL ARTIST, you have a very good attitude towards criticism, and as you are well aware, you gotta start somewhere.

Spoken like a True Prop Comic! :)

U all need to turn those frowns upside down...and I Gots just the thing........
Little Lost Tiki Snacks. ;-D