Paipo's Stone Tikis - 1st Thread - Jun 06 - May 08

Are the eyes connected to the cord? And if so, how did you attach them?

Eye-popping action™!
Indeed!
Wow! One of my top ten favorites!
:D

Wow, that's awesome man!

Although I'm seein a bit of cave troll in there too mate, you been watching the Lord of the Rings again? :lol:

That coco-joes/cave troll/skull stone kix anal cavity, those eyes are so cool!

Cheers Jen, Kinny, hewey, sneaky...

On 2007-08-29 15:27, JenTiki wrote:
Are the eyes connected to the cord? And if so, how did you attach them?

The eyes are carnelian beads, and each one has its own cord braided on.

I was wondering what a tiki's skull might look like (in the vein of the link I posted above), if it were a real creature. Now I know - a cave troll! Hewey, I haven't seen the LOTR films again since they came out, but I think another viewing is in order now. I have been looking at a lot of movie monsters recently, so who knows what stuff is bubbling around in my subconscious?

Kinny - only top 10? I reckon it's worth a place in the final 5 for the eye action alone. Maybe I could do a Ruzic-style cannibal with pop-out skulls in its sockets to get into the top 3! Did you check out the crazy cartoon skeletons I posted above?

Sneaky, the word "kix" has brought back more repressed hair metal memories. I think I might have blown a fuse!

So Paipo...you sure are on some kind of roll. I enjoyed knowing the concept behind this one...and that site. What's next....stone pendants that sing with fully articulated jaws? Blinking eyelids? Fire breathers? Tikis that jump around your throat if you try to leave the house without them? :lol: Pretty amazing concept, and another fine example of your skill and imagination.

R.

[ Edited by: Robin 2007-08-30 19:30 ]

On 2007-08-29 05:59, Benzart wrote:
Paipo, What are we gonna do with you?

:lol: Whatever it is you eventually choose, please let me know so I can be there to watch! :lol:

If you've been wondering why I havent visited much lately Paip, its simply because Im not worthy; you're Tohunga.

Tama :wink:

Paipo,

The Eye-Popper is out of this world! How do you come up with these little mechanical marvels? You are the RonCo of the tiki world!!! I don't think I will ever tire of watching you create these wonderful pieces of art! Knowing that you make these pieces from your naturally shaped beach stones makes the task seem even more amazing. Bravo!

-G

Shootz brah. Holy crap. That skull tiki pendant just floored me. Hold on, I have to get up...

So when do classes start? Im serious. Ill buy da kine plane ticket WIKI!

Your a god amongst men... A truly legendary carver. Art students of the future will be reading & learning about you brah...

man, your work is a kick in the okole!

For miki'oi Authentic Hawaiian Makau, check out my website! You wont find mo bettah! http://www.cabanillamakau.com

[ Edited by: kaha ki'i 2007-08-31 08:54 ]

The skull is so great! Fun, creepe, and SO well done! Congrats!

Yes, "Eye popping action" indeed! It was my own eyes popping out when I looked at the Skull of Yatumba!

Thanks Robin. I will definitely keep trying to come up with new tricks for these little guys, as long as the stone is willing. More eyes for sure - maybe with a wiggling tongue next time!

On 2007-08-31 03:42, Tamapoutini wrote:

If you've been wondering why I havent visited much lately Paip, its simply because Im not worthy; you're Tohunga.

Tama :wink:

Does this mean I have to ban you from smoking in my workshop now? :lol:

G, thanks for the comps, although I have no idea who or what a RonCo is! I am assuming it is something good?

Kaha ki'i, head on over anytime bro. Tama and I will show you the sights and you can can teach us how you get those tiny little skulls looking so good. I might even have sussed out how to mix a mai tai by then!

Clarita, Bowana - thanks. Stoked to see some new work form both of you this week!

I had a pretty good weekend in the ol' studio - got a couple of pieces I've been working on for a while finished and new one well underway.

#40 "Mata Rahi" finished:

#41 "Cool name goes here" underway. Hard to tell in the pics, but this is really nice variegated jade, going from golden yellow rind at the top to nice apple green gemmy goodness at the bottom. I'll probably just do hollow eyes and mouth for this one so the stone isn't overpowered.

the always amazing, ever proficient, Paipo!

Amy :)

"Does this mean I have to ban you from smoking in my workshop now?"

Aww, you've always had the authority to kick me and my dirty habits outside Paip; its your workshop. I reckon that little ex-smoker inside you does a wee dance when I turn/light up! :lol: :wink:

Seriously, you deserve all of the praise youre getting mate. KKi'i has got it; you'll be studied and admired even after youre gone. We are the lucky ones who get to chat and joke with you & say 'I know that guy' while your still around. I consider myself particularly fortunate to be able to call you my friend and even to foul up the sacred space that is Paipos workshop.. :lol:

Im digging #41 'Cool name goes here'; very different. Great stone for the design!

Happy Fathers Day Hally (Hall-ey? Hall-ie??)

Tama :)

Paipo,

RonCo is a fellow who makes gadgets for the kitchen. Seemingly simple things that have made him a millionaire. You've never seen his infomertials? You two have some crazy gene for making widgets and gizmos. I hope you make a million $$ too!

http://www.ronco.com/rco_aboutus.aspx

-G

Man,Paipo, I was gonna heap a Big pile of Praise on you again, but after reading what everyone else has said, I'm Seriously afraid your head will Explode so I'll just wait 'till "#40 cool name goes here" guy is done. Maybe then you will cool down a bit. Right now you're Too Hot to handle.
:lol:
:lol:

Hey Paipo,

Mata Rahi is simply amazing.
Another Marquesan that helps to begin the week with joy, thanks.

Ben

Many thanks:
Amy - keep an eye on your postbox in the next couple of days!
Tama - flattery will get you everywhere mate...I'm just as lucky to have you and the rest our rockin crew to bounce ideas off. Drinks soon?
G - I hope it happens too..but I gotta say tikis are not the most lucrative aspect of my carving business! I don't care, I like making them too much to stop now.
BenZ - master carver and master plumber :lol:
benella - here's some more marq pics just for you (some of you may have seen 'em already in the marketplace):

In between plumbing lessons from Benz via TikiSHOUT! and parenting duties (thanks booBen for reminding me I'm a parent and not a babysitter!) I got a little more done on #41:

More parenting tomorrow - maybe some more carving after that!

This guy is really looking great Paipo. I'm Loving how the orange is fading on the bottom side of the eyes and cheeks. He's gonna be a Cool Dude.

I can't even keep up with this thread. You just bang em out so fast, yet perfect.

Thanks for the pix, I LOVE this marq.
What does Mata Rahi mean ?

Ben

Thanks Benz. Would you believe all the stone with rind on it used to be cut off and discarded back in the old days (right up until the 90s)? It is quite prized now, as is any scrap of kiwi jade. Tricky to work with though, when the stone changes from hard to soft in just a few mm, but worth it for the beautiful shades.

Cheers for stopping by JP. It doesn't seem fast to me, with my time divided between my various duties these days, but a few days out of the workshop does do wonders for my enthusiasm when I do get back in there. I'm hoping to visit your area of expertise (Melanesia) pretty soon...poring over the books and working out the angles :wink:

Benella - I'm stoked you liked the pics of the new Marq. They are starting to get where I want after a year of contemplation and a dozen attempts. I think in a lot of ways it's the hardest style to get "right", and also my favourite going by how obsessed I have become with them. I have another bigger, more ambitious one I'm itching to start soon.
As for the name...the literal translation would be "Large Eyes" :o

I did a little more on the mask today, but not enough to notice on the pic I took. Finished tomorrow?

That rind jade tiki mask is looking relly good. It has alot of synapses firing in my head cuz it looks Maori and has correlations to so many Japanese theater masks, Chinese, Iroquois masks, Norse/Celtic masks, and alot of other cultures. Trippy mannnn!

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

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-09-05 02:01 ]

Nice work as usual Paipo. That mask sure does have a multi-cultural look. I'm glad you're doing what you love... with the tikis...it shows. Looking forward to seeing him polished up.

[ Edited by: Robin 2007-09-05 07:05 ]

Your latest "mask" with the golden rind is spectacular . . . a form that appears to simple but executed with supreme elegance!

I was particularly interested in you comments on the "rind" in this piece. My favorite piece of pounamu (the pounamu itself, not the carving which is a simple drop) has a similar golden rind (with near emerald green translucence in the remainder of the stone) but it was identified a "Marsden" jade by the carver. Can you explain the difference between the appearance of "rind" in some pounamu carvings and Marsden jade? Thanks.

Cheers to sneaky, Robin, timid...

Yeah Sneaky, I tried to simplify it a little so it is still essentially Maori, but moreso just "tiki". The piece I based it on was totally moko'ed up and extremely weathered.

Robin, no polishing for me...ever! Plenty of sanding though. I sanded this up to #600 to get it crisp, then took it back with the sandblaster and a little dry tooling to weather it (see above), so it appears to have some age. The oxidised stone doesn't take a shine very well and I wanted this guy to look ancient!

Timid, most(but not all) of the nice golden-->green stone is from the Marsden district, but unfortunately this seems to have become a catch-all moniker applied by ignorant ebayers to any oxidised stone, particularly the term "Marsden Flower Jade" . Most Arahura stone oxidises white, as does the stuff from down south, whereas the stone nearer to where Tama and I are often has the nice yellow hues (but also may turn white!). Whatever the case, Marsden jade only comes from the Marsden goldmining area! Have you got any of the 3 editions of Russell Beck's book on New Zealand jade?

Anyway, he's all done now and turned out pretty well. I debated doing some more linework on the face, but decided to focus on the form and the play between positive/negative space. No point covering all that nice colour variation with excessive doodling!

I like. I agree with your decision to leave him clean. The colors in the stone and the nice design give him a great look. :)

Very nice Paipo....I should have said finished up. It is a beautiful piece, and a beautiful stone. You certainly maintained the beauty of the stone with the carving, and the finish. Great info on the process, and the stones! Thanks.

I applaud your decision to keep this one simple! The nice clean lines give it a sense of elegance. This is one is lovely, sir!

Cheers AS, Robin and Jen. This is definitely one of my favourite types of stone to carve. Back on the beach pebbles again now - I started on this little guy today. 3 stages, 3 different tools:

Baby shrunken head? - shrunken babies head?? Cool. Little..

T :)

Very good work.
I LOVE the way you began your last piece (#42 if I'm not wrong). The big eyes already make him a super look .

Ben

Paipo, your little Green man turned out Beautiful. I'm in Awe of how you brought out the most of the stone with very little waste. Would you show a picture of the back so I can see whats hidden back there?
Of course your new stone head will be Awesome I'm sure but I'll wait to see how he comes out, so Hurry up!

Not a shrunken head this time T, though the cuts are pretty similar at the moment. This guy is still pretty much a blank canvas at this stage - hopefully I can lay down some detail today. I'm thinking Hawaiian...

Benella, thanks for keeping tabs and all your compliments...I think this guy is actually meant to be #41. I used that number for the jade mask, but I actually have been numbering the jade pieces separately. Confused? Me too!

Benz, it's very unexciting from the back, but here's a pic for you. I just did the bare minimum to make it tidy where the holes came through - which never seem to quite line up on the back like they do on the front!

New piece after the 4th pass. Small pieces are fun because I can cut deep and still get in with the tools for the cleanup work.

Nice little round headed warrior you got there! the stylized nose flowing up into the mohawk/headress is BOMBZ! Wonderin what you're gonna do next on him! what kind of mouth are ya thinkin of granting him? I just wanna pinch his cheeks!No eye poppin action on him,i hope...He seems much too dignified,but in a Pinch-your-cheeks way!

Hey Kinny, yeah, well no eyes, but you know one of his secrets! Goin a little slow on this one - but maybe the carving will be done today....
step 5:

6! Ah ah ah!

"6! Ah ah ah!" ??? :roll: :roll: :roll:

Paipo, this piece came along very nicely. I can't get over how small and detailed you make them. Awesome!

On 2007-09-08 19:19, Benzart wrote:
"6! Ah ah ah!" ??? :roll: :roll: :roll:

The Count has a compulsive love of counting (arithmomania); he will count anything and everything, regardless of size, amount, or how much annoyance he is causing the other people around him. When he finishes counting, he laughs and announces his total (which sometimes appears on screen).

Seeing that missed the mark a little, I'll just post the pic this time:

PS thanks hapa hawai'i!

[ Edited by: Paipo 2007-09-08 20:28 ]

Man Paipo, that's some deep diggin there. I love the depth on these. Its great to see that nose and jaw out in front like that. Gman likee!

Cheers G...I really wanted to put down some bold chops on this guy, Hawaiian style. Good to mix it up after a few Marqs which are more shallow relief carving. It does make for a lot of extra work though, and I was also pushing the tools to the limit in some of the deeper cuts (in terms of being able to get in and sand out the toolmarks).

Step 8. All done on the carving - I'm sure I'll see some little areas that need tidying but it's pretty much there. Hawaiian style tikis look better if they show little of the working process anyway...

...but, this project ain't done with just yet. What's this? A hole right through the head and some missing teeth?

What can it all mean?

More to come!

:tiki:

Don't tell me you're doing a SoccerTiki tongue on this one?!? :o

On 2007-09-08 23:02, Paipo wrote:

...but, this project ain't done with just yet. What's this? A hole right through the head and some missing teeth? - What can it all mean?

er, that he's been in a fight..? :wink: No, Im sure it will be far more face-melting than that. Dont keep us in suspence too long! (yeah I know; I can talk...)

Tama :tiki: (hey a new smilie; pinched from my/your quote) :lol:

Nice work, love the Hawaiian influence in this one mate :D

On 2007-09-08 23:02, Paipo wrote:

...but, this project ain't done with just yet. What's this? A hole right through the head and some missing teeth? What can it all mean?

• More to come!

Oho, Ive the sneak preview (well,a partial sneak preview - he like his surprises this one!) - and it looks as if it will be worth the wait - as always.

Tama :)

let's see! let's see!!

On 2007-09-08 23:07, JenTiki wrote:
Don't tell me you're doing a SoccerTiki tongue on this one?!? :o

hahahaha! there are so many pics of soccer's tongue that i was glad to see it wasn't permanently stuck out when i met him. i really dig the teeth on this guy paipo. can't wait to see the soccer tongue.