Practice Makes Progress (Have A Great Day) Laz

Thank you TC here is where I get the Tiki Juice,

My First stump job

Laz...you are a carving wonder. Really cool job on the stump.

Wow on the stump, great job.

Comon,
You weren't stumped for a minute.

Thank you for the comments and replies., This is the way I see it, As long as I am a member of Tiki Central I will always make a effort to make a better or diffrent carve, The only person i can be better than is the person i was yesterday.

I will be going on another cruise this year, leaving on the 29 of august. 7 day 6 nights , since we live near the port we always get theese last minute deals , $419 for 7 days is a deal . Last cruise i carved the day before and hurt my back, so i was limping the whole time so My wife told me no carving until after the cruise, So I am on light duty,

looking forward to come back though , I have still not have done a moari or ku or tang ect, ect, i am looking forward to it though. Practice makes progress, have a nice day

Have a fun trip.

Hello TC here is my first pelican, Its not finished yet. looking forward to do it again. still need alot to learn Practice makes progress, Have a Nice Day

Love the pelican!

Your Seahorse and pelican are your best I think.

Thank you tiki skip. Doing this art thing full time. practice makes progress doing my first art show in nov, 14 only haVE 2 carvings s right now so i have to carve for the show and carve to pay the rent, so its a fun journey but a serious one . it all started with TC for me. And I am grateful. practice makes progress have a nice day

[ Edited by: nicework 2015-09-20 15:06 ]

Be sure to post where and when your show will be displayed. There may be a few "local" folks that will need to make plans.

thank you so much ! i did not think about that,

Working on a new design, come to think about it. The first artist i followed was wayne coombs I think he was more of a buisness man then a artist, I here about stories of him actually getting violent with people that copied his design, I think to my self some one had to teach him. and i am sure it was the design that he made, we just do not come up with something when we first start carving, we do the peice are teacher tought us, I do not know the facts but i know my truth i was not born with this skill some one taught me and i build on that, but i say that to say, he only made one design for over 30 plus years . same style with a change here and thier, i am always breaking out of my last design. I am offering the art in me not a work of art, i have come up with alot of diffrent designs, thats why i stay away from traditional tikis of course i know its important to build that skill as well. I have made a marquie and a tang , but i like to make diffrent designs, i could not have done it with out TC i came here with out a clue i still do not but i have improved maybe not in the best derection but it is definitley a good one.

I came up with a design I call it Bacardi purto rican tiki, i have one on paper that is the monster energy kona blend tiki. i carve what i like i try to make carvings that i enjoy, I have custum orders but i do not turn them down but i kind of put them off I carve what i like, if they want it find if not it will sell they have all sold I am just grateful I am drumming to my own beat, I thank you guys for having some tolerance with me, i have got negetive vibes for not staying traditional but thier are people here that do not do traditional I am not here to please i am here to learn get inspired and display the work that i do because of being on here thank you so much

h, practice makes progress have a nice day

I think to my self some one had to teach him. and i am sure it was the design that he made, we just do not come up with something when we first start carving, we do the peice are teacher tought us, I do not know the facts but i know my truth i was not born with this skill some one taught me and i build on that

That was well put.

Thanks Will

Monster Energy Tiki carving

Bacardi came out great nice work!

Java Monster Kona Blend Tiki Carving in progress

You're really killing it Laz. Just keep getting better and better.

Thanks Big T

Practice makes progress

A friend Ask me to make Sparky , Michigan State Mascot. I do not like doing commision carves but He Bought 3 of my first carvings when i was just getting started.

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Hello TC . Looking forward to have a productive week I built and fix 3 work benches De barked 10 logs, I plan to make 10 carvings this week. I did some reserch on traditional tiki, need som e practice , Practice make progreess have a wonder ful day

Love Sparty! I can practically see Spartan Stadium from by back yard! Go Green, Go White!

Thank you TOGA TIKI!

I got my new Saburr Tooth Bits, Looking forward put them to use,
I mentioned I was going to make ten carvings this week, that was wishful thinking. If i shoot for the stars and miss thats ok i will be some where in the sky!

now i i just need my chisels sharpened ! I think I will drop them off today.

Getting pretty far away from Tiki, there.

Starting to finish the carvings I have started. I have 3 tikis and a pelican to finish. I am burted out I have a art show in november that i need invetory for , A client wants a 5 foot african carve . and I have a client that wants 10 tikis for his new tiki bar. oh yeah a pumkin carving a chef wants me to make for him next week, I am some what over whelmed.

Started thes two this afternoon, I really love Will s 8 foot cypress carve, I am looking forward to carve that quality one day.

Hello Tiki Central. Started this today I spent 3 hours on it all power tool. I am so excited that i reconize that i need improvement, I think its stats by just being here on Tiki Central . Tiki Carving furum,

there's no one that can touch the variety of your carves, Laz!

Thank you Big T!,

I did not know anything about making tikis before i came to Tiki Central . I do have a Ice carving back ground which is helpful but my first shot at a palm i was so dissapointed that I did not carve a tiki for one whole year,

Here is that Tiki, and notice those logs in the back i humped them all by my self to find out that they where Queen palm, Absulutley useless.

Since The ice carving industry went from real Hand carved artist, to using the CNC machine I got bored with running the CNC machine , I know longer was a Artist I was a operator.

This particular CNC machine could fit 9 slabs of ice on the deck. The Ice industry went from 3 d carvings like mermades dolphins angel fish seahorses all cool designs to LOGO The Ice industy is a logo industry and some ice companies have the I - Sculpt cnc which carves 3 d designs and then you detail it , Its a shity product and you can tell it was made by a machine

So in the end of my Ice carving career this is what I was making , just running the machine filling the logos with colored sand , cleaning them up and calling it a Ice sculpture. And then people in the ice industry want to call them selfs Ice Carvers, I dont think so

Hand carved Ice sculptures is a lost art taken over by the times , here is a Hand carved Ice sculptures I made. hand carved ice sculptures may not be perfect but a its made by a artist not a machine

So I left the Ice Buisness and Got a Job as A line cook, so working for myself as a Ice artist it was a big challenge working with others, I guess I had control issues. and I steped on people toes with my self righteous attitude, I just did not fit in . Its hard to when you have worked for the best at the best then become a line cook, My only hope was to give this tiki thing another try. My friend Virgil medina Champion Ice carver called me up and ask me if I had some work for him in the Ice Buisness . little did he know that not only was i not in the ice game but got fired from my Job, I sold him on comming to my house to carve some palms we went to the land fill got some palms and started carving.

This is virgil and me getting the palms at the land fill september 2014

We took the palms home in my car, Virgil made a work bench and we started carving. we both had no concept of traditional tiki, So we just carved out of the top of our heads, Our first carvings where ruff because we where not familiar with palm so we did not know the medium at all. I got fired from my Job and Virgil got laid of from the ice company he worked at due to know Ice carvings because the Ice company he worked at did not have the CNC machine and clients where going to diffrent Ice companies, So we both where out of a job, Virgil has it worst then me God bless him he has 3 kids and a wife that was not working and he was on the verge to loose his house, Me on the other hand My wife was working, my issue was I was not going to go back and work for anybody if i had to sell lemmons on the street i would of and still will do if i have to,

So in desperation i was doing reserch and I found J ROCK with Rock Tiki Out Post My hero and best friend today,
I called him over the phone and i told him my story and asked him if he could help us. He said sure I will be more than happy, God bless him J rock was my stepping stone to this Tiki carving He welcomed us to come over and we did . He gave us basic tips on palms tools he gave us a demonstration, He told us that we already have the carving skills just needed a little basic information on the medium ,Thanks J rock, if your reading this and sorry if i am breaking your annonymity,

so with that information we went back to the drawing board with the info that j rock gave us, Major improvement with Virgil I still stuggled a little but having Virgil next to me was helpful . I can write a book about Virgil his brother June Medina was a World Champiomn Ice Carver June Medina Won the 1995 World chapionship In Japan, And virgil has many national Ice carving championships but any how thats another story.

Here is Virgils first Tiki Carvings with the help of J Rock

Then Virgil made this designed and i liked it so much that this is the design i learned first.

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I practiced it over and over

Well the story continues Virgil was in serious debt and he could not afford to build a new buisness, I pulled my trump card and called Chef Raffy the Man that taught me everything I know about carving and the culinary arts and Virgil Got a job at a Big hotel here in Orlando He not only needed money but also benifits for his family.

So determined not to give up I dont know how it happened but on September 15 2015 I found Tiki Central. What a gift , It is here where I met other carvers willing to help me, I did not have any tools or experince with palms , You guys taught me about traditional tikis types of palms and wood where to find supllies , you guys inspired me with your work, incouragement , I am where I am today because of Tiki Central alway pushing my self to do a better carve then the one before, In september of last year I still was strugling, But I think that the member that inspired me the most was Soul Surf Tiki, ( Jeff ) thier are many amazing carvers here on TC but they did not have what Soul Surf Tiki had to offer and that was HOPE! I needed Hope because I sucked as a tiki carver all the talented carvers on here if you look at their first page they brought some skill and experince to the the table, But Soul Surf Tiki (pjc5150) first tiki was terible ! he joined Tiki Central in June 2009 and in a few years he really became a great tiki carver, He was the carver that gave me the courage to just keep on carving and i have,

Soul Surf Tiki 2009

Soul Surf Tiki 2013

So i kept on this journey it was carve tikis or sell lemmons on the side of the road. In doing my reserch I found Wayne Coombs Mai Tiki And Crazzy Cappizi I do not know them but i was atracted to their style. Especially Wayne Coombs . I liked his smiling Tikis and I liked the carving style that Capizzi had as decore.

WAYNE COOMBS

CAPIZZI

So thats the origin of my style of carving you can see the influence of thier style in my basic tiki design
This is my basic design that if you ask me to make ten I could make them with out puting to much thought in it

So then I felt like I was a fraud, because all I did was combined two carvers designed and called it my own, so I had to come up with my own design, and I have never looked back, What i did was combined my Ice carving skills and combined it with the so called florida beach tiki ,. In the ice buisness you carve what the client wants in the tiki busniss i carve what i like , big difrence . I still look at other carvers designs and try to make them, Latley i have been going on line and carving drawings of tikis, I am just so excited about being able to be part of Tiki Central . I know I do not make traditional tikis , I am sorry I just dont paticularly like them . I am not hawaian . I am a floridian and I make the floridian style tiki, I know i will make some traditional tikis soon . I just been doing this for a year, I cant wait to see what this next year is going to bring, I sold 4 carvings this week for $630 and i sold the spaty one for $400, Because of Tiki Central and the members that have helped me I was able to pay some bills, I am so grateful to be part of this . I hope to continue growing and learning . I am grateful I love will carves quality and skill and attention to details and for thinking out side the Box , I love Aloa Stations skills and schooli tiki designs , I enjoyed alho texas stepping up in the scene and just whatching him improve , and stoopid tikis those carvings are stoopid bud so dam cool the simplicity of them make them so awesome, I just love this journey I am on , I am looking forward to continue! practice make progress have a nice day,

So Today My style of tiki carving is a combination of floridian beach tiki with a twist of my ice carving background I wonder what the derection i will go for this comming year, I pray it will be a Safe and healthy year for all

Here is a link of most of the carvings i have done in my first year of carving floridain tiki style
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.957588207617535.1073741880.858189614224062&type=1&l=135c257ee2

[ Edited by: nicework 2015-10-06 17:58 ]

[ Edited by: nicework 2015-10-06 18:00 ]

[ Edited by: nicework 2015-10-06 18:04 ]

hello tiki central A chef called me up to carve a pumpkin it was a 100 pound pumkin, so is a pumkin a vegetable or a fruit, Practice makes progress

[ Edited by: nicework 2015-10-07 21:39 ]

Sounds like a rags to riches success story to me.

Thank you!

Nice job on the pumpkin.

hand holding a tiki and a tiki with a surfer head dress

I dont know I am thinking about painting the tiki and staining the hand , Painting just makes it harder i really do not get any more money out of it, Put i like the colors

I like that.
I've never done one like that.
I like your sculpture approach.
More than just a Tiki.

Hard to believe this was a log before. Very nice carve.

Looking good Laz.

Thank you Guys Could not have done it with out you and TC!

Getteing Ready for my first Art show this weekend! Here are two that I am show casing at the show. I have a special Carving thats over the Top! Literlay! I am not ready to show this piece yet waiting to finish it before I post the pictures its that spectacular some thing I have never seen any body do yet really excited!

The Tiki Man Hand Holding the lost Golden Pendant

The Midnite Surfer

[ Edited by: nicework 2015-11-11 17:58 ]

the hand with the pendant is super cool!

Here is the Surprise sculpture I was waiting to finish!

https://youtu.be/50zhjJXqB9k

This was my first Art Show it was a 2 day event I sold 4 five foot carvings

I also got a new apprentice He is 17 years old and is not coming in with how he carves . because i have a empty vessel to fill, which is very exciting, He will be taking the bark of and preparing logs for me while i Carve . he will also be sanding and staining while I carve, he will be learning how to carve by drawing and practicing on Styrofoam while I carve, clearing up saw dust and wood chips while I carve,

Could have not done it with out TIKI CENTRAL FOR SHOWING ME THE WAY

I am also paying him $10 an hour, for working. why because the guy who taught me who i owe my career and life to told me he was going to pay me with knowledge well he did , but kids thees days they don do nothing for free, but with his help I can carve three times as much so it all works out
[ Edited by: nicework 2015-11-16 14:37 ]

[ Edited by: nicework 2015-11-16 16:41 ]

Congratulations Laz, the art show looks very impressive.
Was unable to view the video - message says it is set for private.

Thank you for letting me know the video was set on privite, I fixed it its now on set on public, Its a pretty cool tiki bar. Interactive art! https://youtu.be/50zhjJXqB9k

Hello TC I did a live Ice carving Show on November 1 st . I am looking forward to 2 wood carving shows I am doing . One for a STHL dealer in december and one for a ECHO dealer in march. Its a exciting time. Thank you Tiki Central.

More exciting news The Lake Eola Farmers market is now finnaly taking new applications for vendors . This is Orlando most popular and historic park, I hope to get in. They have a farmers market every weeekend.

tiki watches lol

Hello Tiki Central . well i have alot of custum carvings left over from the show, took them to a couple places to see if i can load them of but the where not willing to pay what i was looking for,

So plan be is to make a design that is fast that i can sell between $75 - $100.
So I came up with this one it took me 1 hour to carve 30 minutes to stain and polyurathane, I am sure i can sell this for $75. no moire custom peices, for a while going to build a inventory of this basic desighn at least ten of them