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Soapstone + Other Stuff! |
Tipua
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 114
From: Canberra, Australia
|  Posted: 2007-04-03 7:58 pm Permalink
Here are some more soapstone carvings - This time from artist Allan Waidman.
The first one is a lovely moai executed in an interesting multi-hued variety of soapstone. You'll notice the long, thin flaw down the moai's face. I think it actually adds character (like a cool scar) and gives an air of antiquity.
These next lot are done in a much darker variety of soapstone. I hope that grey block I bought produces this quality of darkness... We'll see (I've yet to buy a better quality hack-saw so I can actually cut the thing!)
His price range for these carvings are between $300-$2500! Hmmm...
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Tipua
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 114
From: Canberra, Australia
| Posted: 2007-04-05 8:14 pm Permalink
HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!
Just trying out that new black soapstone I mentioned earlier. 
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PockyTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 556
From: central MA
| Posted: 2007-04-06 09:01 am Permalink
Hahaaha. Oh wow. I was NOT expecting that one. Imagine just opening up a foil wrapper and seeing a chocolate face laughing at you. I'd probably pee myself.
_________________
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Tamapoutini
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 1529
From: Aotearoa (New Zealand)
| Posted: 2007-04-06 2:24 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-04-05 20:14, Tipua wrote:
HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!
Just trying out that new black soapstone I mentioned earlier.
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Tama sez: Eggsellent! (well somebody had to say it) 
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Tipua
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 114
From: Canberra, Australia
| Posted: 2007-04-08 04:45 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-04-06 09:01, PockyTiki wrote:
Hahaaha. Oh wow. I was NOT expecting that one. Imagine just opening up a foil wrapper and seeing a chocolate face laughing at you. I'd probably pee myself
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I think it would stop laughing once it knew what it was made for! Yummmmm! 
Quote:
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Tama sez: Eggsellent! (well somebody had to say it)
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Really Tama! Any old excuse for a "dad's joke"! Or should I say eggscuse? Perhaps not... 
Here are a few wee carvings I did this morning:
 
I just used spare chips I got from the cutting-room floor (on the pavers in my wee backyard) after I cut my blocks of soapstone into more managable sizes with my new power-saw. Good fun, although I broke the saw blade.
It was only $40, can't expect too much I suppose...
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Tamapoutini
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 1529
From: Aotearoa (New Zealand)
| Posted: 2007-04-08 3:03 pm Permalink
Quote:
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Here are a few wee carvings I did this morning:
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A FEW? In a MORNING?? Wow, that's prolific! Im eggs-asperated...
Tama
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Tipua
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 114
From: Canberra, Australia
| Posted: 2007-04-08 9:43 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-04-08 15:03, Tamapoutini wrote:
A FEW? In a MORNING?? Wow, that's prolific! Im eggs-asperated...
Tama
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Well it's not like I'm carving a hard stone like jade or anything!
Although, I have to admit I WAS on a roll (not an egg-roll! heh heh urgh...
that doesn't really work, does it?  ).
I turned Mr Goatee into Hei-Goatee (I don't know the word for Goatee in Te Reo Maori. Koti?):
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10309
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2007-04-09 05:41 am Permalink
Excellent work Tipua! Now i MUST find some Soapstone to carve.
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Sneakytiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 31, 2003
Posts: 1795
From: Boise, Idaho
| Posted: 2007-04-09 07:29 am Permalink
The new additions are really good. In a morning? Wow!
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Tipua
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 114
From: Canberra, Australia
| Posted: 2007-04-09 5:34 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-04-09 05:41, Benzart wrote:
Excellent work Tipua! Now i MUST find some Soapstone to carve.
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I'm mostly happy to hear it - 'happy' because I'm glad I shed a little more light on the merits of soapstone, and 'mostly' because I hesitate to think of how my carvings will compare to yours once such a master carver as yourself gets your hands on it! I shall be put to shame right quick!
Sneakytiki: I think the spirits of the ancestors took over and turned me into a carving-droid for a few hours. I don't mind though. This kind of possession is rather pleasant.
Oh, and I've started on my soapstone pipe. I've got the basic shape and I've drilled some holes, although I'll need a longer drill-bit. The holes don't meet up as yet. I also don't know what kind of decoration I want to put on it... Perhaps some celto-polynesian spirals or something... Everybody loves spirals!
When I get home I may take some progress shots (I'm at work now  ).
Here's an artist's impression (David R Wagner) of what it may look like once I'm done:
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Tamapoutini
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 1529
From: Aotearoa (New Zealand)
| Posted: 2007-04-09 5:55 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-04-09 05:41, Benzart wrote:
Excellent work Tipua! Now i MUST find some Soapstone to carve.
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I was just thinking the same thing Ben, or more precisely was wondering whether our man here had inspired anyone to try steatite/soapstone for themselves...?
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The Maori word for 'beard' is paihau or pa hau, but I dont know of any word esp. for the goatee-style; not the fashion perhaps (they may have called them 'Hip-ee'..? (hippy)
*Interestingly enough(?) facial hair wasnt worn by pre-contact Maori until an older age was reached. 'Shaving' was in fact done by plucking individual hairs out between two shells - perhaps too much of a hassle for the older fellas, although Im pretty sure it was an activity that had to be done by someone else (mutual/reciprocal plucking?) and that it was worn by the elders as a sign of rank.
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My turn to add a piccy to your thread Tipua: I dug out the one really nice piece of soapstone that we've found locally (I say we because it was actually Mrs Terrible that found it - but she 'lost' it a few days later. shhhhhh)
I wouldnt carve this piece as I just love it as it is.
Rock on brah!
Tama
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Tamapoutini
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 1529
From: Aotearoa (New Zealand)
| Posted: 2007-04-09 6:03 pm Permalink
Doh! You beat me to posting Tipua! See how long it takes me to type..?
I have often thought my wee piece of soapstone would make a great pipe but until I find another piece wont be able to bring myself to sacrifice this.
*So thats how the unvieling of your pipe will look? I wish I had bare-breasted women standing behind me to celebrate each new piece I make!
TTT
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Tipua
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 114
From: Canberra, Australia
| Posted: 2007-04-09 7:58 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-04-09 18:03, Tamapoutini wrote:
*So thats how the unvieling of your pipe will look? I wish I had bare-breasted women standing behind me to celebrate each new piece I make!
TTT
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Heck yes! But notice in that above pic the men are far more interested in the carvings than the bare-breasted woman. In fact they're ignoring her! My girlfriend would probably murmur something about "male priorities" or something in like that.
Would be nice though
Eee-by-gum that's a nice rock! I wish I could find a beauty like that just laying around! Like you though I wouldn't know what to do with it, as any work on it would certainly not improve it. Well, I couldn't improve it anyway... I don't know about you! Like Benzart you shall put me to shame!
About the facial hair: I suppose the old-time maori warriors wouldn't want to mar their moko by covering it with a beard, but PLUCK their hairs! Ouch! But then again, once you've had your face chiseled, then rubbed with ink, I guess plucking a few hairs out is nothing!
I heard some Native American tribes (like the fellas in the pic) plucked hairs with clam-shells. Both facial hair AND head hair! That would hurt, as well as take some time...
Back to the subject of Goatees. I noticed Rapa Nui were big on them. Moai Kavakava, Moai Tangata, and others all sport Goatees. Perhaps there's a word for Goatee in Rapa Nui?
Cheers Brah!
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Tipua
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 114
From: Canberra, Australia
| Posted: 2007-04-10 03:47 am Permalink
Alu'a!
Even though I'm far from finished, here's some shots of my potential soapstone pipe:
This one shows the pipe's (admittedly rather crude) profile. The dotted line represents the results of a minor mishap. Quite a sizable chunk broke off when I dropped it. Sure, I'm clumsy. But we all know gravity is to blame! Gravity sucks!
I finally managed to connect the hole in the bowl with that of the stem. It was more difficult than I presumed - especially since I hadn't a lot of room for error after my little mishap when soft soapstone met the hard floor! I made it though, with a satisfyingly hollow 'clunk'.
Still rather primitive, but given a few days (or weeks) work I may get this pipe lookin' ok! After that all I need is a wooden stem insert, something to smoke in it, then someone to smoke it (smoking's not for Tipua)!
This next pic, as you can certainly tell, is not my work. But it features three soapstone pipe bowls.
Not very good are they?
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Tamapoutini
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 1529
From: Aotearoa (New Zealand)
| Posted: 2007-04-10 2:20 pm Permalink
Yeah, those last three look as though they need a bit more shaping or sumthing; not bad as a starting reference though.
-Depending on what you fill your pipe with Im sure you will be satisfied with the finished work!
Keep us posted. Anything else in the pipe-line?
Tama
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