Clarita's experiments

Thanks Ben!!

Thanks Hewey too!! Did you liked the green :wink:

RELEASE HOKU ILI! HE IS INNOCENT!!

Clarita - Your design skills are just on fire! :) This latest is one of my favorites...the green and purple one side by side really stand out.

On 2007-10-02 22:06, Bowana wrote:

RELEASE HOKU ILI! HE IS INNOCENT!!

:D Oh no! Hoku Ili is in trouble already?! This new Tikis doesn't know how to behave!

Thanks a lot Babalu!!

Tiki Candle Maker

[ Edited by: Clarita 2007-11-14 16:13 ]

FREE Hoku Ili!
FREE Hoku Ili!
FREE Hoku Ili!
:lol:

Amazing, amazing work. They look fantastic!

After 4 days of captivity............

Hoku Ili escapes!!

Run hoku Run!!stay away of t-bag and find Michel Schofield he is a friend!

Thanks finkdaddy!! Your hula girl is fantastic!!

Thanks Bowana :D for helping Hoku Ili scape!! Now go carve that eucalyptus,is already looking good!

Where in the World is Hoku Ili?

After his recent escape from custody, no further sightings have occurred for almost 3 weeks. Rumours have been circulating on the internet that a lone Australian assisted with the breakout and helped to smuggle Hoku Ili out of Argentina, along with another unidentified inmate. No-one could confirm these rumours - until now...

Paipo Household, New Zealand - October 22nd 2007

What's this on my doorstep? Parcel from Australia?

Looks interesting!

The next stage has been censored for security reasons and to protect the identities of those concerned, but may be revealed in another post.

Meanwhile, later that day at the Paipo studio...

Looks like we may have a new addition to the family? You'll have to look carefully, as his natural camouflage works well in this new environment:

Hoku Ili is FREE! He has carefully placed himself in front of a nice paua dish to make the most of his flickering radiance. At night he climbs free from his cage, which he has brought with him to remind himself of those he left behind.

Rumour has it the Australian agent may have recruited accomplices to check out the situation in Argentina - but that's another story!

Thank Clarita and harro - I love my new tiki! Now I just gotta resist the urge to take a bite out of him! :lol:

oh you finally appeared!! I was worrying sick! You little b...!! Don't do this to me, I thought you were melted some were!! This new tikis don't care about a mothers concern, they just want to party! But then they have international troubles...Is too much for me to handle!! Thanks to the SD agent for helping him scape and to the Australian agent for helping him get out of the country, and a special thanks to the cool family in New Zealand that decided to adopt him and take care of him after all this mess, :D !! (...just don't eat him please! this goes specially for the cute little member of the family...!)

"Attention citizens! Hoku Ili has been spotted in this general area. He is known to frequent establishments where Surf Music is played, so all bars and nightclubs be on alert. Anyone with information on this felon please call 1-800-TIKICOPPERS. Thank you."

:D ! (Gracias amigo!!)

Clarita , you are truly amazing and one of the most talented and underrated artists out there . I fell in love with your work the minute I saw it . You have a fresh new look at things like Paipo. I get many compliments on my candle collection . But I just tell everyone that I made them . hahaha

Dear Clarita,
My God do your Tikis like to take long trips! They look fantastic in their little boxes. Don´t worry about Paipo´s new family member as I´m sure that Hoku Ili knows how to take care of himself, after a trip like that one and all the police troubles I´m sure that he can handle it. :wink:
Great original work you have, Oh Great Candle Mother! :P

Hugs,

Sebas

Thanks Ray :blush: !
Thanks sebas too, did you find the other scorpion? and what did you do with the first one...?

Do as Ray and Sebas and ignore the Tiki police, They don't even tell me what they accuse Hoku Ili for, it's so unfair...I hope some day he can clean up his name...mine wile I hope he is behaving at paipo's (bat cave)...

Glad to assist in Hoku Ili's escape from Argentina and give him a taste of freedom in Australia and then send him on his merry way to NZ. I must say he was certainly keen for a bit of adventure and loved living in my backpack for a few weeks!! I'm just glad he made it ok by himself to NZ!!

Freedom for all!!!

Oh! the Australian agent appeared safe too!! I'm very glad!! I was worried about him too! after all the risks he took, for the freedom of our little friends! Thanks agent Harro you are the greatest!! (where are you?)

Just as things seemed they would be okay.......

The Tikicoppers boarded their canoe and headed west to New Zealand, determined to recapture Hoku Ili. On board was a crate containing a special secret weapon to be used in the apprehesion of this seemingly dangerous escapee.

"Ah nuts! Hide me Paipo!"

OH! Nooooo!!!

After many long days at sea, the Tikicoppers have decided to stop at a nearby atoll for tasty refreshments at a local Tiki bar (they are Tikis, after all).

After slamming a few down, the trio fail to notice the shadowy figure at the bar who is monitoring their every move.

Who is this dark sentinel and what is his interest in the Tikicoppers?

:D!
Oh noo! They are getting closer!!
I'm intrigued, who might that be?! what is the arma secreta especial??!
I'm afraid for our little friend, hide Hoku Ili!

I interrupt this exiting story to introduce Tiki-O-Billy!
He is not finish yet,but you can already have an idea how he looks like...
I've started him in water based clay, but then the weather change to worm and he started cracking allover so I did a plastic surgery on him using epoxy clay,thats why he is a little messy,but I think he is going to survive well...

Clarita,

This clay work is really, really nice. I love your style. I think one off mugs in your own flavors like this would be a smokin hit.

That cracking problem can be fixed on future clay pieces for sure...I can clue you in if you like? Is this piece hollow?...has it been fired yet?

Your on to something here Clarita

Billy is superb. And he is a musician !!! Top cooool.

Ben

aVery cool Clarita!
Your style is so full of fun and whimsy!
the placement of the hands/the very recessed textural eye sockets and eyes/the corduroy like stripe on the pants-even the cuff rolled up! All of it fits perfectly! Tiki-O-Billy is a hit!
You need to do more lil "sidetracks" like him! Maybe he can get rid of the Tiki-Coppers! :D

Thanks Babalu!! He now has a epoxy skin all over, so I won't bake him at all (I never do, I let the water based clay dry very well, and then I finish it with varnish spray.To take a silicon mold of it, to fill with the paraffin...).
Yes he is hollow, I'm going to make him as Hoku Ili a candle holder, we'll see how the transparency works..
This is how he was when he was just water based clay

I think the problem was that I've made him to thin, I've didn't had that problem with the others I've made before. Thanks a lot for the help offer I really appreciate it!! Slowly the mug idea is getting into me, so I take your word on it...Thanks again!!

Thanks very much Ben!! I know after your tools issue you are stronger than ever!! Can't wait to see your new stuff!

LLT Thanks so much my friend :D !! yes I'm going to need reinforcement, I think, to help Hoku Ili, the tiki coopers are bad asses!

...But he is not ready yet, today he suddenly has grown a big quiff!!

Tiki Candle Maker

[ Edited by: Clarita 2007-11-10 17:10 ]

[ Edited by: Clarita 2007-11-10 18:47 ]

Hi clarita.
I didn´t show up in your thread till now.
Must say, that I salute your designs for the uniqueness. There is nothing comparable to this.
I like the tiki-o-billy the most, that is exactly my style.
What will it be? the 'one of' mug, a mini serie or candles? And what about the quiff?

Greetz from germany, tok-tok

Great stuff, Clarita love it. You for sure have a style that people are gona love.

Hi tok-tok Thanks a lot!! it's going to be candle holder,like the ones I've made before
check it out
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=21408&forum=7&start=180
Maybe I'll try some mug experiment but I don't know yet.
And about the quiff, it has grown a lot and we are still in the hair salon (he is a star...)I'll post pics soon...

Thanks seeksurf! I appreciate it :)!

Lookin Good Clarita. Hurry up already and get that Tiki-O-Billy done, we WANT HIM! You too but you're too far away...

Billy looks great. Totally original look to him.

Hello Clarita,

He doesn't look to thin to me. There could be a couple of reasons why this little master piece cracked.

One, might have been in the drying out of this little guy. When you have areas that are thinner than other areas, those thinner areas will dry faster. Clay shrinks a little as it dries, so cracks will form where the thin areas meet the thicker areas. to avoid this problem, dry the work more slowly. Wrap it in a plastic bag (garbage bag)...every day (or so) pull the work out of the bag a let it sit exposed to the air a little (hour or two). You will notice as you remove the plastic bag, that moisture has dissipated from the clay and is in the bag...after you have let him sit out for awhile, turn the bag inside out, and wrap the work back up. Just repeat this until you start to notice that not very much moisture is showing up inside the bag. At this point your clay work will be in a "leather hard' type of stage. At this stage you can start to let it sit out longer...it might even be ready to not have to be wrapped any longer. Just let it dry out. When you can touch the clay piece to your cheek and it feels about room temperature, the piece is dry and ready to be "fired" (it's not called cooked). In a leather hard stage the clay can be easily handled...when the clay is dry, it is in it's most fragile stage so be careful not to break it. When you have clay that is the same thickness in a piece, like all of these cast mugs you see people doing, it is very easy to dry. I don't cover my cast mugs at all after I have pulled them from a mold...I just let them air dry right away. Still, it is sooo much fun playing with clay, that these cast pieces just don't cut it somehow for me.

Two, you need to make sure all the air is out of your clay before you start to sculpt with it. When little air bubbles get trapped in the clay, and as the clay dries, and begins to shrink, the air will force it's way out to the surface causing a crack. this is easy to avoid by prepping the clay first. This action is called "wedging" the clay. Wedging is when you take a mass of clay and aggressively fold it into it's self many times over using both hands on a table top. It does not take long. If you Google "clay wedging" you will be able to see how this is done.

I hope this helps a little. Some of this information you might have already known? Clarita, you are a natural with clay. I think you will find it very enjoyable. You might consider taking a college type ceramics class, or a ceramics class anywhere for that matter just to clue you in on some of the basics of clay, but design wise...kiddo, your there...just keep on keeping on.

if you need anymore info, just let me know.

Peace.

Thanks Benz :D !! I'm near in spirit, my friend...

thanks jim3da I've had a quick look to your first tiki, amazing! Keep going!

Babalu thanks a lot!!!
But wait,wait,wait you model a clay piece to fire that original you make?

and to make a plaster mold for slip cast, you use that fired piece as master or you use something else?

Oh yes you do! I've just seen your thread again closely this time...I'll PM you...

Tiki Candle Maker

[ Edited by: Clarita 2007-11-13 20:37 ]

Great work as usual Clarita! I'm looking forward to seeing this one come together.

Suddenly remembering that their mission is to sail to New Zealand to recapture Hoku Ili, the Tikicoppers board the Tikicopper boat and get back on course....

...while unknowingly continuing to be observed by the dark watcher.

Closing in on NZ, they receive an important piece of information sent by a contact.

What the heck could it say?!!

Oh the intriguing story continues!!
What's that message, who's that shadowy silhouette?!
Come on SD agent! I need to know!!

Here is the progress on the quiff, so far.



(It's being slow, because I'm making a little vampire candle for my friends from Little monster clothing. They reeeeally wanted me to. Is based on their logo design that is this vamp drawing by Solrac. I don't usually work for others, but I really like this guys, and this logo so...Billy's hair saloon has being slow, I'm not quite convinced yet)
Thanks for looking :) !

Billy's hair saloon has being slow, I'm not quite convinced yet)

Hey there, clarita.
in my opinion that sure looks awesome so far. quiff could be slightly bigger/higher, but that´s just my 2cents, not a must. besides I know nothing about claywork, perhaps it would fall of if it was bigger.
Nevertheless I like it much . Rock´n´roll, yeah.
thanks for sharing.
tok-tok

hola clarita,

the new one is looking amazing - totally different to the last one!

i managed to snap a quick pic of one of the toti's i smuggled to Australia in his new home in the kitchen of my brother's small inner city pad in Sydney:

and I assigned this guy who lives just outside the door to keep an eye on him if he tries to do anything like Hoku ili and escape:

nos vemos pronto!

Fantastic job thus fare. He has a ton of personality.

Sweeeeet, Clarita! I love his hair. Mine looks like that sometimes in the morning when I wake up!!!! :lol:

Thanks a lot Harro!!
That Toti looks happy, living with your brother! I don't think he will want to scape like Hoku Ili, look at his smile! He is really happy!
Thanks for the pic my friend!

Thanks seeksurf :) !!

Thanks Howland, so your hair, sometimes, looks good when you wake up hm? :)!!

Tiki Candle Maker

[ Edited by: Clarita 2007-11-22 08:28 ]

I Love the hair too, Pure Elvis if it was Anything, Love it.
The note said "the rent is due!"

Here's what the heck it could say-

"This is going to be easy!"

They're here!

"This is going to be easy!"

They're here...

...but little did the hapless trio know; the Old Paipo residence was exactly were WE wanted them...

Meanwhile; a second crate opens and its inhabitant quickly moves off. Observing local custom, our hero ingratiates himself with the local Chief.

The exotic charm and allure of Tiki-Fuego makes him an instant attraction amongst the easily led natives, and a posse is quickly formed...

to be contd...

(love him! Thanks so much Clarita!) :) T

Back outside the Paipo Estate, the Tikicoppers were oblivious to the veritible army of native fury and their new leader that lay in wait for them inside.....

"There it is, boys!"

"Appease the Secret Weapon and prepare to infiltrate!"

Thanks Benz! Who is Elvis? This is pure Benz ;D

Thanks for the inspiration, hahaha!
is the rent due at Paipo's, :o ?!!

Oh! Hoku Ili's mysterious friend appeared too!!
Just on time to help him with the Tiki-Coppers! fiu!
I see Mr. Fuego is making powerfull friends! That's good news (I think....)
Go help Hoku Ili please! I don't think his disguise is going to protect him for long...
As Benzelvis would say Happy happy happybamalumablamabu!
Thanks!!!!!

Tiki Candle Maker

[ Edited by: Clarita 2007-11-22 08:40 ]

[ Edited by: Clarita 2007-11-22 16:23 ]