Palm Frond Masks

I'm kinda new around here. I did a search for palm frond mask but didn't find anything. Are they considered legitimate art or are they the bastard stepchild of tikidom? Here's a few I've made. They are several years old and outdoors, but a coat of spray shellac, a little paint, and some new sisal hair revives them.

They are a great project for the "artistically challenged" like myself. I use Canary Island palm fronds, they have a hard "shell" on the outside and soft wood (like balsa) inside. I use a Dremel to cut the outline and a knife to chip away the shell from the carved areas. A little black paint to the carved areas and you're done.

Hello, MadDogMike, and welcome. I like the cluster of masks, I think they're more impressive together. Good work, I can't believe you could find material from the Canary islands!

Hi MaddogMike,

Cool stuff there, I like the upper right one best. But they look great all together.

Thank you. Robb, I had 5 full-grown trees imported from the Canary Islands so I would have an endelss supply of fronds :) Octopussy, that's my fav too, looks very Polynesian to me. The one on the bottom right has the top of his head hollowed out, sometime I plant little palm trees in it for "hair"

When I saw this one,

it made me think of this:

:P:razz: :P

Keep at it, the potential is there for some great stuff. Having a nearly endless supply is awesome.

The need for artistic talent can be highly overrated, if the love for the subject is true. As a fellow artistically challenged carver, I know.

OK, I'm at it again. Here are 2 I carved to look like me and the missus - the resemblance is uncanny :P

Check it out! I gots me an original, superslick MadDogMike mask. Thanks Mike. The finish is excellent, I hope the pic shows it. It looks like a prop from a vintage Tiki bar. The cord ears are way, way too cool.

I think it matches my Tiki, Shuggie, really well. They have the same, sculpted-out style.

Nice score Robb! MDM, the lower right mask in the group photo is my personal fave, rings true in a kitschy way but still has an almost "authentic tribal" look to it.
Sweet!