Babalu - Lapatiki 3 - The way out is the way through

Wow...the skull necklace is incredible! And what's going on with that small
piece of wood in the background, looks pretty cool too. Inspiring work.

Sure wished I had more time on the weekdays....inching away....

Torching the earth? What's this wacko doing? How does this pertain ?.....ohhh, the suspense of it all :-)

On 2007-04-25 20:03, Babalu wrote:
Sure wished I had more time on the weekdays....inching away....

Looks like he's grinding out a solid power chord!

more and more beautiful.

Babalu, You’re settin' the world on fire! This next tiki is looking sweet. I like the Hawaiian hang-loose (shaka) hand sign.

Mrs Hoptiki

that guy is looking real good But that Falcon is really something else! I love that top piece. Can't wait to se that finished.

the tiki hut altar is outstanding. i liked watching the progress. your newest tiki wearing the skull is definitely your best yet. keep carvin' and postin', brah!

Paipo...Rock on!!

Benella, Thanks for staying tuned in.

Mrs, Hoptiki...thank you for the props, and for turning me on to Sergio Mendes...I visited your "my space".

Big Hodad - Thanks for the comment on the Falcon...This trailer is my baby. If you like, you can learn more about the Aero Flites here
http://groups.msn.com/AeroFliteTrailers/_whatsnew.msnw

Thanks King Man....I'm going to try something funky with the base on the guy this weekend...I can see where I could easily screw the whole thing up with this thing I want to try, but hey...sometimes ya just got to go for it.

aloha babalu that looks awesome i love the skull keep up the good work

Any update on the skull guy yet? I'm anxious.

JP

Thanks for the link. Now I reallllllly can't wait to see that sucka tricked out! Lots of really cool styles and interiors in those pics.

The thing that keeps me gawkin' at that tiki you got going is the work around the eyes. Something about what you did and how you did it, can't quite verbalize it, has me mesmerized. As someone who has drawn a few skulls can I suggest you open up the eye sockets a bit more? Not a must if you are following your vision, just a suggestion because it doesn't change the kewlness factor you already got going.

Cheers.

Morning JP....well, I got some done yesterday. Will try to move on it a little more today. Going to go with metal on the base for this guy, and a few other spots on him as well.

Thanks Marcus, That prop feels good coming from the scull master! I think I might like to stain this tiki in the same fashion you did that last scull. I really liked that look.

Some Sunday morning fun....found ants...Target Lawn Dept...$12. each.

Hey Hodad, I think your right on about the eye sockets...will open them up and fine tune other areas as well.

Hopefully this will help some of you newbie carvers - such as myself....of all the chisels I have, I find that I keep going to these four the most. The 2 curves came in that 4 piece sculpture set that Flexcut sells...Brought separately, the 45 Degree - 1/2" (MC545) is a must. The other is a 1 1/4" straight chisel (MC501). Not trying to pitch for Flexcut...I'm sure there are other fine brands as well...Flexcut brand is just all I have tried to date.

Absolutely fabulous, man.

Just a quick update…

Running into some major wood issues on trying to finish this first tiki up….Sections of the logs core and all around the base have a bad case of what TikiDav calls “SRP” (stupid rotten palmwood)…Plus the core is still green. I knew all of this when I went back to working on this guy, but went ahead with it anyway as I wanted to get a feel of my new tools. I don’t think that I can save the feet’s design in the way I had first imagined doing them.

ehhhhh…no big deal….I’m going to set this one aside to dry out a bit more and move to the next. I want to try and correct some of the flaws that I saw in the first design in the next one. I would still like to combine the wood and metal down the road somehow…The combination of the two materials intrigues me.

Speaking of which, I just picked this very choice log up from the house of Buzz yesterday…Thanks Buzzy!! It was cool to kick it with the Buzz Master and his incredible carving dog Kiva to watch the sunset….oh and by the way, whatever mental images that you have floating through head right now about the house of Buzz, you’re probably right on.

I can't wait to see you mix some metal in there. I think it's a GREAT idea.

Is that a DIVCO in the drive?

Getting better and better with each post Babalu, a super effort from top to bottom.
Your design for the top of the head and the back of the carving is wonderful, very
creative. Big frikkin' ants too...make sure they don't get in your pants.

Careful Babalu, any more realistic on that skull and you might be accused and arrested for grave robbing. This is going to be a super piece. Ofcourse with those giant termites helping you I don't think you can expect full credit for this guy, but you Definitely get an A+ for Tool re-use and originality.

Hey,

Thought I would touch base with a little progress (might be a little premature really), but I had a question to pose to you all.....

First, I guess I should explain what I'm doing. I had read in a post somewhere, where Tiki Diablo was mentioning to a new carver to start with sketches, or a clay model before diving into the carving....this made great since to me to do a clay sketch as I feel it will help me to achieve a far more complicated design than I could if I was to just dive in.

This clay sketch that you are seeing below (though not completed) is to scale. I added an additional step to this sketch by building a wire guide to fit around it. The wire guide is to scale to the log that I will be carving on. I will scale up and transfer the line work on to the log to mimic the wire guide once the clay sketch it completed.

The clay sketch will be cut in sections then hollowed out and reassembled before firing. The clay will shrink a little in the first firing so I will use the clay sketch prior to firing in it's dry and fragile stage to sculpt the log from.

The scaled wire guide I made is just some common building sheet that I picked up at Home Depot.

Ok, as to the question.....Should Bubba here come equipped with "package"...

or without package?

Thanks for looking.

uhhhhh....but......well....aaaand why not just forget the nasty palm log and make him like you are doing? That looks pretty darn good if you ask me. Like scary good. Are you just fooling with us kindergartners?

To answer your question, I vote for "with" as it looks a bit empty there without.

G?

Yea, I agree Babalu, why would you wanna mess with chips and sawdust and
all the time when you can do such a great job with clay. And then you can
put chickens inside the chicken wire.
Really nice design, and I bet you have a lot more sculpted stuff that you
could show us. Any more of them rascally wabbits.

I say sans package. Or, it least tone down the package.

WOW-What a fun thread! I just breezed through the whole thing and saw a lot of cool stuff. The alter looks especially sweet in the wedding pics, as do all the sharp dressed peeples.

TIKI DOG!!!! ha I laughed my a$$ off!!!!!! (made me hungry, too)

I really like the extra creativity you put into your work--definately one-of-a-kind!

Package or not??? I think the tiki would prefer the former.

G"MAN!", Conga, Wheeler, & Surf-n-Turf.....thanks for the feed back gents!....

G-C, I like the clay and all, and will still play around in it, but lately there's just something about cleaning wood out of my teeth and ears that's really turning me on....floating my boat....putting gel in the jelly...you guys know what I mean.

Hummm....2 say package, 1 says pinky package....well, package it is then....I'll finish blocking him in and determine if he needs to be cut short or not....don't think I've ever seen a circumcised tiki before? Damn!...more thinking....

Babalu,

Re"member" that you said there will be some shrinkage when you fire him. You might wanna oversize him so he isn't lacking when he's done?

-G

I say with package as well, you can always remove it in wood as easily as you did in clay. :) Nice design, I really like the turtle shell on his head, and the way it carved out. Hope to see you Saturday!

Very nice design!! With or with out package, can't wait for more progress pics!

Yeah, give him the whole real deal. he'll love you for it.
Looking Good!

Morning,

Thought I would post some of the progress on that clay sketch for the “Buzzy” log. It’s been a while, and I’m still not done with it….work related crap has kept me on my toes in a different direction for a minute. The next sketch I do for a log will be done with oil clay instead of the regular clay…it’s been a pain in the ass keeping him wet while I’ve had to do this other junk. I have a brace on the back side of this sketch, from his butt to his feet, that I’m not planning to have in the final wood carving. I think I’ll make him standing on a pile of sculls?….anyway, this is all I got’s to show for right now, sorry. He does have package if you couldn’t see that from the pictures.

Now this is what I like, someone else doing some freaky sh$t. I really
dig what you have going on here...the expression...the ears (way cool)....
the shell pendant....can't wait to see how this one comes out in wood. Great
stuff Baba.

Still reminds me of a rabbit.....

Just kidding.

This is very cool! Very diferent!

P.S. You do realize that you will never escape the rabbit genre in our minds here that know your works.

Mahalo

McTiki

WOW,

I can tell you this stunning piece will turn to a wonderful masterpiece.
Did i read "a pile of skulls" ? That will be first class work, man. :) :) :)

Benjamin.

Hey All,

Sorry, I have been doing clay mug stuff lately for the SD Choppers, and it's taking me away from wood carving for a minute so I haven't been able to post on this thread. Still, I've been talking about the "Bird" since I joined TC on this thread.....so, without any further ado...please let me introduce the "Bird"....This little fellow has just stole my heart.

The cutest baby ever....:)

I'm usually very indifferent to babies, but oh my gosh. What a little sweetie! He's beautiful, Rick. Congratulations.

By the way, I've decided to start calling you Grampy.

Congratulations, Gramps!

Congrats Grampy! Hey that 3rd pic with his tounge sticking out at you, a glimpse of things to come (watch out during feeding times, the ones with active tounges are the most dangerous!!!). But now I gotta ask, (being the Birdman...) I didn't see any wings on the lil fella, a little halo...yup, but no wings?

Congrats Bab'
Very cute baby, really.

Benjamin.

I've been so busy fooling in clay lately that I haven't carved in a while, however, I was able to knock out this little wall hanger out at the Oasis which sold at the auction on Sunday....If whomever brought this is out there...let it dry, and slap some spar varnish on it. I think it was was about 2.5 - 3 foot something?

Rick!
Nice... Ive got the work-in-progress shots of that buggah! I love all your work! those slides you showed me were amazing! great to meet you at the Oasis and Im stoked you like your new kahawai!!!

keep in touch as I do believe theres a babalu mug in my future, yes?

A hui ho!

Hey Gramps!
What a little sweetie! Can't wait to see you start that new one you started in clay! Friggin Awesome!
So cool meetin ya at the TO/Chop Village!!! Keep Rockin!

The mask came out great, Rick. Looks like the color variations are gone. The wood must have dried up some?

BOWANA!!! – thanks for stopping in man.

LLT – You the man! One of your mugs is getting used daily…It’s my fav!

Kaka Ki’i - I love, love my new hook…My wife and I have been battling to see who gets to where it. Thanks for commenting on the slides…

I owe pdrake a huge, huge thanks…he took some old slides of mine with him after the Chop that was held at my house and put the images on a CD…I didn’t know this could be done. I just got this CD back while at Oasis. If any of you are interested in looking at some of my earlier work, I posted a few of these pics in the Bilge area of TC. Not many have seen these old works…Thanks for looking!

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=25382&forum=6&0

Wow Babalu, the pictures of your old work are so COOL! I'd love to hear the stories behind each of them. It's neat seeing how your style has evolved to what it is today. I think my favorite part is that there's kind of a scary factor to a lot of them. It's one of those things that makes your heart start beating fast when you're looking, and yet you can't turn away because they're so intriguing! I can't imagine what your dreams are like at night. :) Really great stuff! Thank you for sharing!

Zaya

Well, I was going to break out, and warm up the chisels on a more traditional kind of mask wall hanging before starting on this larger log I have waiting, but one thing kind of lead to another this morning, and I ended up with a start on this island bunny tiki, sort of, kind of a thingy...sorry, sometimes I have "zero" tolerance to the pull of rabbits :) Anyway, here's a progress shot of it....

Now THATS what I'm Talkin' about. The Rabbit-eared Tiki, says it All in my book. :lol:

Babalu, can you take a picture of the back side for us so we can see whats going on in the back? looks great so far.

Hmmmm, yes, the rarely seen Harotorua figure.

-G

Babalu's back !
Happy happy happy