Carvings by Atomic Mess

Nice stuff. GROG like.

Yep, that little Marq needed a big wang to help keep him from being too top heavy.

Well-played.

thanks Grog for good words ;]

Here's another update, I found this table leg in the street a while ago...

I think it's beech, I dunno, whatever it is it's HARD...

It carves nicely but has ocassional chippy/weird grain areas...

he was taking forever and I was beginning to think this one was not going to work...

then he started coming together...more pics to come.

thanks for stopping by

I really like your lil guys.
I always doubt my carves during the process too.
Aloha Station & I found that Salvation Army
has stacks of bed posts & legs they're almost
giving away. All shapes & sizes. Big ones too.

from table leg to tiki

cool

I like that you are using what is available to make a work of art AM, Nice!

Is that a flute he's playing or...???

Thanks Will, it's good to know that even experts have doubts! Nice tip on the charity shops, I'll check em out...

Hang10 and Cy- I've bought some nice bits of mahogany on ebay but I still can't walk down the street without stopping to check out every piece of wood I see!

Amate, all is about to be revealed ;]

mahalo

Primitive coolness AM!

Wow,
that is well thought thru.
And a lot more complex than it seems at first.
My next project is a box with a lizard on it.
I may have to take some tips from you there.

and I thought it was going to be a hookah! Very cool and very primal. You are the real deal.

Definately a style developing here. i like it!

Primal and accurate.

Well done!

Mahalo

McTiki

Croc head looks great , nice primitive feel .

that is really good bro...

very cool...

hey thanks for the comments guys!

Watango, thanks for your feedback, I really rate your stuff.

Will - it was difficult to work the croc man out as I carved him, made me wonder if anyone here makes maquettes or clay versions before they carve, kind of like a sketch before a painting?

I know some artists/sculptors do that...personally I like to leave some stuff to chance and let it develop as I carve but this one really made me think I maybe should have planned it more before I started...

here's a new one, I took some progress shots but my darling computer has decided to wipe em out...

'Cannibal fork', made from Iroko which is really, really hard, nasty chippy and harsh to carve, my hands are like raw meat now...

bump. NO updates?! Nice cannibal fork btw.

Atomic Mess, I am only just now seeing your work. I LOVE it! You have that Sixties Witco vibe nailed down COLD. I am inspired.

AM, I'm a little late to the party but I love that CrocMan. Bravo!

hey all, sorry for the lack of updates, it's been just over a year since I joined and I think I got a bit burned out...

I don't know how some of the prolific creators on here keep making cool stuff everyday...respect!

I'll be posting something soonish/when I get an idea and I'm going to try and do a compilation in the finished Tiki section including some stuff I haven't shown here before.

Thanks for the push Mike, Gwen and BigT!

Hi All, I finally got off my lazy arse and did some carving, it's only a small one to get me back in the flow...

One day I'll have space to make a really big one I hope!

Stay tuned, I'm going to start another one tomorrow, thanks for looking!

Looks cool.
Can you give us a sound byte?
I would expect the tweeter speaker of slit gongs.

am, the slit gong is a great idea!! I'm gonna steal that. I still have a big back of those sticks I've been cutting on. Nice.

haha, thanks Will! it does actually work, you get different tones depending on where you hit it...

Big T, I love that tiny tiki you posted, it's a great way to try stuff out too.

I did a mini 'sketch ' for the latest one, I'll post it another time. here's the block with a rough drawing-

he'll probably change a bit so it's pretty vague, as Polynesiac said, 'the wood speaks to you as you carve'.

a long way to go!

cheers,

Looks like a fun one

Cool little slit drum. I love that style. The new one looks promising...what kind of wood are you using?
It looks hard.

Looks like mahogany.

Thanks Amate, I'm going to do some more like that at some point..

Aloha- Yep, Mahogany, as you said on your thread, it's hard (although this piece isn't raw) and the grain can change direction on you.

This little bastard has taken a couple of blood donations from me already...

still a way to go, better get to work,
mahalo!

Dig it, man. I can't imagine carving a tiki out of mahogany. Rough stuff.

On 2013-07-08 04:48, Atomic Mess wrote:
Aloha- Yep, Mahogany, as you said on your thread, it's hard

That's what I was affraid of. I got a piece of mahogany for Christmas last year and thought I recognized it. I have been avoiding it until I carve up the scraps of found wood that have been around here for years. Eventually, I'll have to get at it the mahogany.

You should go for it, it's a nice wood to work with. Some pieces are harder than others. Also if your tools are sharp, sometimes you'll be able to push the chisel through the wood without using a mallet.

I tried basswood awhile ago and I couldn't get on with it, it was so soft I couldn't carve an edge on it...

finished at last...

thanks for looking

Outrageously cool AM!

Crisp detail &
well thought out.
Nice job.

^ what he said...

Really original and well executed. Dig it!

thanks guys, I'm getting into these crocs, got another one planned...

In the meantime I thought I'd try something new (for me)-

the foot broke off...$h1t!! I'll have to glue it later.

I've never tried to copy something directly before, it was weird and felt like there was more pressure not to make a mistake. Normally if something gets messed up I can adapt it into something else but not in this case...

I learned a lot from doing this and I've got massive respect for you guys on here who manage to get your proportions and symmetry just right!

cheers,

Sweet.
GROG gonna like that.

Well done!!! Love it!

Way Kool

On 2013-08-07 03:58, Atomic Mess wrote:
the foot broke off...$h1t!! I'll have to glue it later.

Thats the hazard of carving Mahogany. When you want small protruding details other woods are better - Walnut and Cherry are some of my favorites.

On 2013-08-07 04:29, Will carve wrote:
Sweet.
GROG gonna like that.

Yes, that's a nice little Tangaroan. Glad you kept him anatomically correct, also. It looks good with the rough finish to it.

[ Edited by: GROG 2013-08-07 09:38 ]

shite, fell off the first page! I've got some problems with my shoulder so I haven't been carving too much lately. Gonna see a Physiotherapist soon I hope...

Thanks for your feedback guys,

Aloha— I'll check out some walnut when I get a chance...
Grog— hope you're healing up nice from your own 'carving'

Here's a small guy, been doing a few smaller things lately-

I like the way the body came out, not so pleased with the head—

thanks for looking in!

I've been wondering where you've been AM, good to see you back with more of your stylin' work!

The head looks fine to me. I guess we are all guilty of being the harshest judge of our own work. Heal up...carve on!