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G.. he looks great! Love the shape of the nose and lips.. very realistic! Can't wait to see him finished!

Without the blue eyes he doesn't look like Frank Sinatra anymore.

Gman, it sure adds a level of difficulty working with the different colored layers, doesn't it? The face is looking really nice. Will this one be a keeper?

Hey guys,

Thanks for the positive comments.

Dave, I'll likely be working on the face for quite a while. A little here, and a little there. Many of the Maori Tekoteko pieces I've been researching have very little facial feature detail. I'm trying for a fair amount of human feature detail, but not too much. Additionally, I don't want to have to lay the Moko out on too complicated of a surface.

JP, I wasn't really going for the "Frank" look! But thanks for the comparison!

AA, yeah, the irregularity in the heartwood makes it tough to judge what you're doing or if you are doing it evenly. I've spent a lot of time with this type of wood now, and I am fairly comfortable with it (but the smell is killing me). As for selling, I dunno, I got a good raise at work, so the pressure is off a bit. I won't need to turn as much art this year as I did last year. For now, everything is for sale, like usual. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there, or when/if someone offers to buy him.

In time, this guy is going to be fitted with green abalone eye inlays, and a Moko. I still have lots to work out with the body and I plan on spending a fair amount of time working on it around my other projects. I may try to work the Moko around some other abalone inlays elsewhere on the body if I can find a good place for them.

If anyone is interested, this is a cool website with lots of carving pics...and they offer free Maori art wallpaper for your computer.

http://www.nzindigenousart.com/

I hope you all have a great and safe New Year's weekend.

-Gman

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2005-12-30 14:37 ]

GMAN, he is really beginning to shape up. Thanks for the NZ site, it has some Beautiful carvings.

Benz,

Thanks for looking. I haven't had a chance to work on him since the last post of his face. I was gone all weekend. Hopefully I can spend some time on him this week and get him further along before the Tiki Jam. I really need to get going on his body.

I have been saving some cedar chunks thinking that you might be able to use them for small Benzs. Some are good sized. Would you like me to bring them along when I pick you up?

-Gman

Sure, bring'em on. Thanks.

Hey all,

Well, this morning I got up and woke the tikis....

I looked outside....(wearing my Fez Hat of course)

It looked nice out, but cold, so I suited up and headed out for some sawtime. I spent almost all my carving time today working below the waist on this fellow. Here are a few pics.

Hope you all have a nice weekend...

-Gman

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2006-01-09 09:54 ]

Gman, he is realy trying to get you to finish him up.. I Think I just heardnhim say "Hurry up" a few times. Has he been shouting at you during the night.
He is looking better and better,Even if you can't hear Him,you can hear my- - -Hurry up, I'm dyin here to find out how he'z gonna look.

Ben,

Was that the tiki shouting? I couldn't tell with all the other voices in my head.....

-Gman

He is shaping up real nice. You've done a great job with the two layers of wood, especially on the face. I know that isn't easy. It's even harder when using a precision cutting instrument such as a chainsaw.

It's good that you had to wake the tikis. It would be bad if were the other way around. I see how cold it was there, that tiki didn't want to leave the warm house without his clothes on, although there didn't appear to be much shrinkage.

Are you going to go at it again tomorrow? Post if you do.
JP

JP,

Thanks for commenting. Here's my update for today. I went outside this morning with a list of places to nip and tuck. I worked on them a bit and then started in on an 80 grit sand. This is as far as I'm going to go today. I guess I'll take this one down to the tiki jam and try to play with it some more there. Maybe I can do the eye inlays at Loki's or maybe draw out some moko with Ben. I'm working late all week so this is it until next weekend.

Thanks for looking,

-Gman

GMAN, cant wait to meet him...he really looks class A.

Looking good Gman.
Is this guy a keeper for you?

Aloha Cuz,
Looking good bruddah! Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing what it looks like when da buggah is pau!

Malama Pono!

ps
Love the last photo with the shadowing and the cannon in the background! Very cool brah!

Cool stuff G! Yeh, he looks kinda reluctant to go outside. Maybe because he wants to be finished...

Is anyone else worried that a guy with this much talent with a chainsaw is hearing voices and owns a cannon?

Hey all,

Thanks for looking at my SLOW progress, this one will be changing quite a bit over the next few weeks. I appologize for the slow progress on this guy, but I'm also knocking out my other tikis and carvings (and working a day job). Once I get the ab inlays cut in and the moko drawn out this guy will look very different.

Loki, you'll get to meet him on Saturday....I might even let you touch him!

Rodeo, I'm not sure. I don't have to if I don't want to now, so I don't know what I'll do. I'll likely keep moving my less involved tikis and hang onto these bigger projects.

Kaha Ki'i, Hey brah! Thanks for the props. He'll be mo betta soon!

Hewey, Be afraid, be very very afraid!!! :wink:

-Gman

Hey Gman , could you post some more of your fish rubbings , and maybe the process involved.

Thanks.

Gyotaku pics for Rodeo:

:)

-Gman

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2006-01-10 20:02 ]

Hey all,

I drove over to Loki's this weekend and participated in the South Florida Tiki Jam. I got to hang with Benz and he gave me some Moko lessons. He also left his signature moves all over my Maori. SWEET! :)

I was also able to steal one of Loki's logs and carve him a Gman tiki for his tiki garden....

Man, what a great time! I put more pics from the Tiki Jam on the Jam thread.

-Gman

I am guessing that he is now a keeper.

Ahhhh, Hmmmmm, yeah. Yep, he stays here!

Awesome! That Benz work justs sets it off!

He turned out fabulous! Looks like you guys had a great time. Wish I were able to go.

I can't believe I missed the Gyotaku pictures you posted several days ago. They're great! The octopus is my favorite.

JP

[ Edited by: JohnnyP 2006-01-15 06:10 ]

Now that's the ticket....a GMan/Benz....wonderful creation....a piece to be real proud of.
Congratulations GMan.....

Hey guys,

Hewey, JP, and Conga, thanks. Yep Ben's touch adds a bunch to this piece. Enough so that I really don't think I could ever let it go. But there is still a chance that someone could prove to me that they could give him a better home. For now he'll stay here and be appreciated greatly by his creator. Hope you all had as good of a weekend as I did. The Florida Tiki Jam was a blast!

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2006-01-15 17:44 ]

YEp, he's a Keeper and I'm gonna keep him,, Oh GMAN didn't tell you guyz?? Maybe he didn't remember telling me I could keep it.
Just kidding. Don't think you could pry it away from him with a gold plated Sears Crowbar.
The Fun I had working on him was what I get to keep forever. What a day!!

Sweet!

Hey all,

The Fed gave me the day off for a holiday today, so I thought I would go out and carve for a while. AlohaStation was kind enough to bring me a piece of Mahogany when he came to the Tiki Jam, so I figured I would work on it. It was a lot narrower than most pieces I choose to make tikis out of and it had a fairly major bend in it. I looked at it for a few minutes, focusing on one of the knots in it, and I saw an eye. A few minutes after that I had the saw started and was busy cutting a 44" crocodile slit drum. I can't keep a giant slit drum in the house, so I figured this would be perfect. Besides, I've been drooling over the croc JohnnyP made and posted on his thread.

So here you go, from start to having the first two coats of finish on it. I will put a third coat of finish on it tomorrow or the next day, depending on the weather and the drying time. I hope you like it.

Thanks for looking and all nice comments are appreciated.

-Gman

"The saw is family"

[ Edited by: GMAN 2006-01-16 14:24 ]

Nice drum..like the stain alot. how does it sound?

Gman , how deep is the slit and how much do you take out of the inside?

Love love love the color of stain on this one. Very nice work.

I like it! How does that Mahogany sound? Isn't cutting that slit tough, trying to hollow out the inside without enlarging the opening too much. Try different weight beaters or drumsticks and the tone will really change. It looks like he wants to slide right into that very warm and NOT FROZEN pool and spend the day basking in the sun.
JP

You are a sick man G...Keep it up...I cant believe that is the same log i saw you take home...Awesome...

"He who does anything because it is the custom makes no choice."

[ Edited by: Loki 2006-01-16 16:46 ]

One more croc pic for tonight.... :)

Thank you AlohaStation!!

-Gman

I see it's already house trained!

HE looks REally Great GMAN, I DO think you should extend the slit up between the eyes and past the eyes , half way to the nose on the front end. Also continue the slit down into the tail using about half the tail for the slit so the slit looks to be more than twice as long as it is now. Here is another one I just Can't wait to See finished. EXCELLENT !

You know, it's funny, as I checked the thread, I thought "this dude's been hang'in with Benzart". After having read the copy, I know why I thought that. Those fish prints (forget the name) are cool. As someone else noted: That octopus is great. Gman, you're a carv'in fool. Love your work and that croc is very cool.

Holy Crap! I'm still trying to get the sawdust out of my ears from Saturday and your whipping up stuff like this. If I wasn't a FSU alumni I would drooling all over this. It's my pleasure to supply you with the material. How did you like working with the Mahogany? Keep up the great work.

As always, that's some fine work, GMAN... Ben's touch looks sweet too - as always!

Ona, Rodeo, JohnnyP, Loki, Benz, Foamy, AlohaStation, and Sam,

Thanks for the comments on my croc. It was fun to do. I still need to spend some time removing more wood from the inside, but I'm going to let him sit for a while so I can think about it. Working in the mahogany was nice, real nice. I would like to get my gloves on another couple of pieces of that stuff!

Back on the Maori front, I got my abalone eye inlays from BK today. What do you think? This is getting CRAZY!

I likes 'em! Thanks BK!

-Gman

hey gman, Is there anything specail about the slot in the drums that needs to be done as far as tuning is concerned, and also can you use any kind of wood like palm for instanse for them, cuase I wanna make one now....

Killer Croc Gman!! Keep up the good work,

I am really liking the eyes. This guy is really turning into a Special piece.
The Crock,rockin' drum looks great too

GMan you are freakin us out with all of your great work....really like the log drum and
your GMan/Benzart hybrid is really turning out nice. As much time as I spend pounding on drums...
I guess it's time to do a log drum too. Great "eye" for the 'gator inside the wood.

Conga,

You of all people NEED a log drum. Sounds like a good project for this weekend? I'll expect to see pics of your drum on Saturday!

no no...can't do it yet....you pushing me for pics again? Alright....another coupla days
of chiseling on my newest freaky creation and I'll get something posted. Sorry...don't
wanna divert your thread. Keep the pics coming...Love it all.

The croc looks cool, but that maori is really popping with those abalone eyes! A real TCer project that one.

No prob, brah! Those are good cuts for a good piece. Nice work.