Oceanic Arts items

Went to OA during my lunch hour (OK, 2 hours) and picked up some real cool items.

They had some real neat tiki shirts made by Johnsons in England; there 100% rayon with a big tiki on the back from the collar to the bottom of the shirt and a tiki on each side of the front with bamboo piping on the front collar and seams; only $29.00. They had 2 left, so if you're in the area - GO! (just don't wear it to the Tiki Farm Bash 'cause I am)

I also picked up a carved suffering bastard full size (approx 9") for $48.00. Leroy said he signed one for someone and it sold on ebay for $294. I'm keeping mine as I do all my stuff.

I'm like an adolescent in a porno shop when I'm in there!

being in FLA can't make it there on the lunch hour - but I did have them send me a BIG pufferfish lamp. Scares the heck out of our cockatiel!!

Bong

Let me know when you make your next lunch trek to OA as I'm just working in East L.A.

Trustar

Yo Tikibong, only 2 hours at OA. That's too short. I could spend the whole day in there, talking with Bob an Leroy. They always have interesting stories and advice. They are too cool. One day I'm gonna drag them kicking and screaming to a tiki party. I'd like to see a book on just them and their adventures.
rum drinks and two hands carving at the same time.

I didn't want to start a new thread in Collecting about OA, so I thought this one came closest to what I was looking for.

I think it deserves a resurrection.

I just returned home from my monthly trip to Oceanic Arts. I'm all excited about the piece I bought and wanted to post pictures.

I've mentioned it before, but I was at Oceanic Arts last December and just got a weird vibe. Maybe it's just me, but I kind of got the sense that I needed to start making these purchases sooner rather than later.

There are shelves and shelves of carvings that I'd been longing to own for ages. So my one and only New Year's Resolution for 2006 was to buy one piece at OA every month. I've been able to stick to it (even if it meant making up an excuse to take a very long lunch in order to drive from Ontario to Whittier and back on the 30th.)

Here's what I picked up today.

Leroy signed it.

This was my May 30th purchase.

Here are a couple of Hawaiian pieces.

New Caledonia

New Guinea with a little Easter Island thrown in

These were acquired by OA from Damon's. They had been sitting there in the shop for three weeks which truly amazes me.

I haven't really stuck to the original idea of just buying one a month. Sometimes I get a little carried away.

I know a lot of folks from California already have many of these items in their homes, but I think they're worth sharing in one thread.

I love every trip I take to OA. Bob always gives me a pile of swizzle sticks when he rings me up, and Leroy's stories are priceless.

All I can say is: Wow!
Amazing stuff, especially that last photo!

Great idea to post the pictures. Oceanic Arts is another business that should be supported by everyone who wants to keep Tiki alive and well.

Here are my masks from Oceanic Arts:

[ Edited by: ookoo lady 2006-06-24 22:02 ]

Very nice Tiki-Kate & Oookoo Lady. Here is one thing we got last year.

So, does Leroy actually sign things from OA? I seem to recall a thread not too long ago about that same subject...and that he was NOT hip to signing things.

I can't wait for my trip to OA, I'll have to bring a van I think!
Thanks for posting photos!

Nicely arranged display, Ookoo Lady

. . looked like a good place for this question . .

Did/does Oceanic Arts use a symbol similar to this to mark their pieces? I found a really nice carving with such a marking.

Thanks!

On 2006-08-27 09:40, SilverLine wrote:
. . looked like a good place for this question . .

Did/does Oceanic Arts use a symbol similar to this to mark their pieces? I found a really nice carving with such a marking.

Thanks!

Are you sure it isn't the lost idol from GI Joe Adventure Team???

Hi 8ft! You're not gonna beleive this, but I found that symbol (or rather, something similar) on a 9+ foot tiki! I'm going to have to go back and photograph it and that symbol. I'd love to own this guy, but he's way tooooo tall!

(How high are your ceilings?)

Here is the answer direct from OA as received via email:

Aloha:
The circle with an A in the center is not of Oceanic Arts, Whittier, CA.
Perhaps someone is trying to capitalize on our name. Be interesting to find out who is using this symbol.
Bob & LeRoy

OK, so it likely isn't an OA carving. Anybody recognize this guy and/or the symbol carved into the back of him? He's about 9 feet tall and looks like he's spent his whole life indoors.

Well, I actually made it through a whole year with my resolution in tact.

I put most of my purchases into the same room. Strangely enough, I had named it The Oceania Room before this whole shopping thing started.

On 2007-01-24 22:34, Cammo wrote:
Holy Crapes, is that a complete collection of Nancy Drew books I see off to the right??? Kate, have you ever seen the original versions with the watercolor covers?

That's gotta be the neatest computer station I've ever seen. You get the Internationale Triple-Deluxe Neatness Computer Award, 1st Class for that desk.

It's an almost complete set Cammo. I lost several when the house got munched, and I'm still looking for one. Then I'll be back up to the original 56. (I also have the Nancy Drew Cookbook. :)) I have seen the originals which are awesome looking, but they were written in the late twenties and during the thirties, and I find the racial content a little disturbing for my personal taste. They updated them in the fifties, and those are far more sweet and palatable. (Yes, I do actually like to read all 56 every year or so.)

I cleaned up the desks for the pictures since those are the ones that I gave to OA for their book.

On 2006-08-30 18:26, SilverLine wrote:
OK, so it likely isn't an OA carving. Anybody recognize this guy and/or the symbol carved into the back of him? He's about 9 feet tall and looks like he's spent his whole life indoors.

OK, I feel sorta dumb here quoting myself, but I have new information on this carving and I want to keep it together.

Someone I've known for years had info about this and it never dawned on me that she might know anything about it, but here goes.

Back in the mid to late 70's (and perhaps even before that) a Hawaiian man named Cyril "Sonny" Directo was carving tikis here in Kansas City. He used a lot of walnut and this is his signature logo. He carved other things as well, but is remember most for his tikis. He taught at Penn Valley Community college in the late 70's and was a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute. He was employed for a time at the Harry S. Truman Library. A really interesting man, sadly now deceased. He even held spectacular luaus complete with pit-roasted hog. YES, here in Kansas City!

I'm going to try to dig up more on him and see if I can find more carvings by him.

I thought it was time to give this thread another bump. I've completed three years of monthly trips to OA without fail. So here's a recap.

I picked up the smaller masks and wall hangings.

I'm almost done with the smaller wooden tikis.

When I started buying the larger wall hangings, I usually went with the plain stained and waxed versions.

But then I became more interested in the painted versions.

I have the Bora Bora pole, but I still need the Marquesan pole.

Then there was the OA mug.

And one of their castings.

Every now and then I find things that they have obtained from a variety of tiki establishments.

The Damon's masks.

And the float from Don the Beachcomber at the Sahara in Las Vegas.

Occasionally I splurge and buy an original Leroy piece.

I splurged a bunch this month and got this amazing mask that Leroy had just done.

That's it for now. But I'll be back at OA in January to keep my weird little tradition going.

Wow! What a SICK collection!
Thank you for all the great photos, really nice eye candy in here!

ST

I can't stress enough the fact how amazing it is that to this day one can still buy these classic designs that graced countless Tiki temples like the Kahiki and the Mai Kai. It's Tiki history alive, thanks to Bob and Leroy hanging in there and now thriving again. :)

I thought I'd give this thread a little bump and remind everyone that this is Oceanic Arts' slow season.

As all of you who frequent OA know, business is always booming in the Summer during luau season when people are renting the big tikis and stocking up on party supplies. During the chillier months though, the average SoCal resident is not swinging by OA.

Please keep this in mind and patronize Oceanic Arts. They've got all of the new Tiki Farm mugs as well as plenty of supplies for your tiki craft projects.

Also, like Sven said, they are still producing many of the items that once graced the walls of many historic tiki temples.

Here's what I picked up this month. It's an original Leroy Schmaltz tiki.

Haven't made the journey yet. Jungle need frog skins first. Must go.

Im speechless .

Kate, spectacular! really a great thread!

Amy

What a great collection of OA carvings Tiki Kate, ma halo for sharing! I really enjoyed seeing all the pictures! :)