Tiki Microcosms

I don't carve or build or paint, but I have this thing (being German) for miniature worlds and models. That's why one of my favorite concepts of classic Tiki Bars are 3D dioramas, like sunset beaches with miniature volcanoes and native villages.

At home, I do not even have a Tiki bar per se, I just have my collections concentrated in several spots, and basically there is no empty shelf or wall space left in the house. In presenting my artifacts, I sometimes like to create little Tiki environs.

Maybe others could share their Tiki microcosms here too, here are my three examples:
(I also hope this will prove that I am not just a stuffy ol' purist! :wink: )

1st, below: On top off my kitchen sink, a fake aquarium (meaning no real fish in it)

2nd, below: On my bathroom window, a female action figure, embellished by a Marquesan Tiki (by Mai Kai from Munich) and a little Japanese mummy carving

3rd, below: My favorite mini A-frame environment

Which all really proves that Tiki is for people who don't wanna grow up....

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2006-08-06 11:29 ]

Excellent and very creative!
Tiny little environs bode well in tiki environments, often being packed with items that take some exploring to discover, just like a well cluttered tiki bar.

I remember a post about candles that housed tiny dioramas.

I have this thing (being German) for miniature worlds and models. Is that what German's do. Never heard that. I'm 1/4 German but think its my strongest pull. My first mug collection was beer steins. Have you ever heard of Frankenmuth in Michigan.
http://www.frankenmuth.org/

On 2006-08-06 12:16, teaKEY wrote:
I have this thing (being German) for miniature worlds and models. Is that what German's do. Never heard that. I'm 1/4 German but think its my strongest pull. My first mug collection was beer steins. Have you ever heard of Frankenmuth in Michigan.
http://www.frankenmuth.org/

Hey teaKey - I grew up hearing about Frankenmuth all of my life (I grew up in Lincoln Park, just south of Detroit), but I never actually went there. I always heard that if you like fried chicken and Christmas stores, then it is the place to go! :wink: Nice to know that you are from my old stomping grounds....

http://www.samgambino.com

[ Edited by: sam gambino 2006-08-06 13:48 ]

I just moved all my tiki stuff out of the house and into my carving studio a couple of weeks ago, and set up little groups of objects wherever I could fit them. This is my favourite - 3 souvenir Moai with some pebbles, glass and smokey quartz:

Righteous! And if now you would hide a small, low wattage lightbulb behind the crystal, it would glow, and eminate light from below on the Moais....ouuuh!

I am the owner of the tiki candle mentioned above, with the miniature hula diorama at the base. Humuhumu took some great pictures of this, and they can be found on this thread.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=12908&forum=5&hilite=candle

I have also created this miniature scenario....

Vern

[ Edited by: ikitnrev 2006-08-07 20:50 ]

there is no more amazing miniature world than Roadside America.

http://www.roadsideamericainc.com/

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/PASHAroad.html

..sbim

Vern, now THERE are some happy Tikis! And those cake decorations natives in the candle are among my favorite diorama inhabitants. I used them for my early Kon-Tiki display. I wish I would be home to re-photograph it, I only have the link to my ANCIENT website, which I am sure most are familiar with, but just for reference:

http://www.bookoftiki.com/012.html

On 2006-08-07 19:12, Suffering Bastard in Maine wrote:
there is no more amazing miniature world than Roadside America.

Very cool. My earlier remark about being German was in reference to the fact that they are absolutely nuts when it comes to model train sets. Here's a place in my hometown:

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/data/cms/en/200/

You can see pictures here (if you have the plug in) or in their gallery:

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/data/cms/en/530/

But back to Tiki dioramas: The pinnacle of all must be the island at the FRY's Electronic store in Manhatten Beach. Once I tried to take pictures of it, but I got shushed away, did anybody else have more luck? It WAS amazing when it was new, now it's a little run down, but still grand.

SVEN
dear dear dear that third pic is a DOOOZE

• like a third chichi

i hope you are well - i was at the tiki tonight

ALOHA!
MT

Hi Bigbrotiki, so good to hear from you. Dan loves to make his villages of small tiki items. I still do not know how to do photos on TC, one day someone will visit us and show me how, hint, hint. Meanwhile if anyone would like to see a danlovestiki village just send me your email address and I'll email you some photos. He has made ten unique tiki habitates. Wendy

Kool :)

I thought this thread was neat and just before what's-his-name (I kid!!!) started it I had just done up my pal's aquarium. Today I finally got a cell phone snap of it. The mat backin' is actually wrappin' paper with a photo print of palm mat on it. It's also taped (painters tape) to the front of the aquarium to "trim" it out. Paper cut tiki faces on the backin'. Dollar Tree tikis on either side. Some fake ferns. I wanted the aquarium "set" to look grand and epic. Like some big aquarium at a dream Tiki joint.

I'm surprised these little environments ain't more popular among the likes of us as yuh can make a fantasy come to life. And with a coupla Mai Tais in yuh and yer head sideways on the counter...It's the next best thing to bein' there!

Aloha or Servus from Bavaria,

It´s a long time ago, when I read this thread. It inspired me to create my own Tiki Microcosms.
Then I build a voodoo box out of an old first aid box, which I found in my garage.

So thanks to bigbrotiki for give me so much impulse. I hope you will enjoy the voodoo box,
with all the inhabitants and dangerous secrets. If you want to see more pictures
and read some informations about the smoking Bamboo Tikis, the magician from the "Long Ear" clan,
or about the master above "Mana" and "Taboo" please visit my TC thread. Here
A little preview:

I was very surprised when I read about Frankenmuth. It´s too funny! Little Bavaria with all his
cliché in the USA. It´s a honor for the Bavarians, but I am happy to life in the origianl one.
bigbrotiki, I hope you will visit us soon.

Greeting, Haikai

Thanks for posting about this creation in this microcosm thread - it is the first time I am seeing it. That is an amazing work of art - one of the best things I have seen on Tiki Central.

Vern

Excellent craftmanship and stunning creepsmanship. Very teekee and very eeeeeveil!

Incredible piece of art Haikai! Wonderfully creative with lights and all. Did you use LED's?

Yeah that is pretty neat haikai. However that door would have to have a lock on it if it was in my house. I wouldn't that Hangin doll buggah getting out and going huntin' for my head at night. Here is one I made and posted awhile back.

Chongolio

Serenader's A'GO-GO ...Live at the LAVABOWL

It looks like it´s hot at the LAVABOWL! I like the funny guy in the background with the umbrellas.

Thanks ikitnrev, Sneakytiki, TIKI-TONGA and Chongolio for your nice coments. :D
You are right TIKI-TONGA I used LEDs. Two white LEDs behind the bamboo pipies with the Tiki faces,
one green LED behind the bone pot and under the roof a red and a with one.

I hope this nice thread will animate some of you to post more Tiki Microcosms.

On 2007-02-15 07:21, haikai wrote:
It looks like it´s hot at the LAVABOWL! I like the funny guy in the background with the umbrellas.

Aloha Haikai !!! That just Gumby - http://www.everwonder.com/david/gumby/history.html ...Sometimes, it's really hard to sleep with all the music and singing going on, not to mention the glare of the red lights coming from "DA LAVA BOWL". :) :tiki:

I really like to Voodoo Tiki box. It kind of reminds me of something that would have been in Beetlejuice.

Bumb, I want to see more Tiki Microcosms!

Aloha!

Here I proudly present my new microcosm the "The Forbidden Paradise" display cabinet:

At the relief you can see the tiki god protecting the vulnerable and occult paradise with his shields and the wisdom of the ocean.

"Forbidden Paradise" from different views!

The shack of the inhabitants!

The tree house and the rope bridge!

...........

You can find more pics and information at my carving thread:Here

SWEET!!!!!!

Aloha Tiki friends,

this is the poster of my next tiki artshow in my hometown Regensburg/Germany.
The "Grand Opening show" with exotic music and drinks will start at Saturday - 7.00 pm - 3th October 2009.

Kopfkunst
Corner shop
Schwandorfer Straße 24
Lappersdorfer Straße at Regensburg

The show includes many different artworks of the last 5 years, from the first tiki to the last. I will also report about
the unforgettable impressions uring my tiki time and show two new tiki dioramas.

Perhaps one of you gals and guys will be in Germany during this time. So I would be happy to meet you at the opening show.

haikai -

I so wish I could be there at your opening - wishing you all the success in the world.

I love the poster art too..very reminiscent of classic magic posters of the early 20th century - any chance of me getting my hands on one of those? Let's trade!?!

Hai Kai ROCKS!
no if's,and's, or But's
He is the Diorama MAster!

sorry double post.

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2009-10-02 05:14 ]

Bigbrotiki- I like the little scenes, I do stuff like that myself when I'm at home. My desk was mash up of Hawaiian and Blues Brothers stuff.

Hai Kai- Love the scenes, they look great! Wish I could do something like that.

Dang Kai,

just now seeing "Forbidden Paradise".

that is breath-taking, my friend!!!!!!!!!!

Malalos for posting!!!

toes

I guess these would fit into this category as well. I may try a diorama at some point.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=33960&forum=18&21

The scene was created by new member andyboy.

andyboy posted the picture and others in his thread Tiki Themed Diorama

On 2010-06-09 14:18, Zeta wrote:

Mini Tiki Zen Garden
(intervention)

I got a Mini Zen Garden thing as a gift. I am not that much into the Mini Zen Garden thing...
I got a Desktop Mini Moai set of 4 as a gift.

I put them together and KA-BOOM! Tikified! Now it got "soul" or "Aku" to be more precise!

Some time back Sweetpea tossed this oddball bamboo thingamajig (kinda looked like a birdhouse) my way to see if I could make it into something "useful." I turned the base into a lamp of some sorts for her (can't recall what it looks like) and had the roof of the kicking around for a while. Then my landlady tossed out a decorative birdhouse and I hatched a plan.

I took the roof off the birdhouse, added some tropical beachcomber elements like a "driftwood" fence, carved palm frond tikis (grown in Washington the State palms), a thatch porch roof, a bird getting tipsy on the porch roof, and someone having a drink inside. I put the bamboo roof on with a little light in it so it glows and you can see the interior if you peek through the door hole.

This was one of those projects I thought I'd knock out in a couple hours. I'm still laughing at that thought.

Cool!

I posted this in my pile of pupu a while back, does it count as a microcosm? Mermaid, sea turtle, & Moai mad of polymer clay, poured acrylic water, brandy bottle and a solar powered light.

Dan loves doing these. He has eight. Here are some examples. Wendy

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2010-09-16 11:51 ]

One of my favorite threads! Mahalo nui loa for sharing!

The dioramas rock.