Carving a 3 footer in a gallery/show – any advice?

Hey folks. As some of you are aware, I will be carving live at the art gallery show that is accompanying the Australian Street Rod Nationals at Easter. The show is on hot rod/kustom kulture. I plan on having 2 finished tikis displayed (3 if I get time), and I have been asked to carve live in the gallery throughout the show. The show runs from Thursday through to Sunday, but I won’t be in there the whole time!

I will be supplied with a 3 foot gum tree log, all debarked and ready to chop into. I was thinking a head only tiki, and design wise something like Aaron Akua’s take on the Hypno-tiki by Sam Gambino. So relatively simple, people won’t want to see me hacking out a full bodied Lono at the stage where it doesn’t look like a tiki. I probably wont finish it at the show, given the sanding thing is pretty boring and the drying time for lacquer. If I finish the main facial elements I will start doing detailed tribal patterns.

I would love to hear any feedback from people as to what they think is good/crap when carving live.

I cant do some pre-show carving as I will be getting the log when I pu my stuff in the gallery.

Kustom Kahoona

[ Edited by: hewey 2007-02-21 16:58 ]

Hewey, don't think about what you're going to do for the live carving until you get the log. The wood will speak to you and you will know what to carve when you get it. No need to stress yourself out either.

I suggest doing as much carving between now and then as you can to get yourself into carving mode. work on that pirate! carve some pendants! be prepared to answer all sorts of questions about ow to carve, types of tools, methodologies, famous tiki carvers (new and old) and the occasional question about bears. Not to mention the meaning behind tikis.

Have fun!

On 2007-02-21 18:17, Polynesiac wrote:
Hewey, don't think about what you're going to do for the live carving until you get the log. The wood will speak to you and you will know what to carve when you get it. No need to stress yourself out either.

I suggest doing as much carving between now and then as you can to get yourself into carving mode. work on that pirate! carve some pendants! be prepared to answer all sorts of questions about ow to carve, types of tools, methodologies, famous tiki carvers (new and old) and the occasional question about bears. Not to mention the meaning behind tikis.

Have fun!

Thanks mate. I got lots of carving planned. I have a gum log at home I intend on chopping into to get a feel for the wood (as much as I can, the log I get might behave different). Im going to write up a small blurb on tikis and their relevance to hot rod culture too.

We need Tiki Central business cards to give out to people!

Yeah Hewey, Just go out there and have fun and be safe and a great tiki will come of it. Big Bold Cuts with a Quick tiki face will have everyone begging for more. They Love to see the chips flying and the tiki emerging.
Have Fun!

man i agree. i just wing it when i carve kinda. first i have gotta see the wood then ideas just come to me after that. whatever you do im sure it will be grand. great luck try to get some pics for us