Scarecrow Posted June 18, 2013 Oh jeez, i don't know if I have the time or the tools (or the money to acquire said tools). But I am genuinely interested in trying this some time. Maybe once I've got my shit together regarding accomodation, study, etc. Thanks though! I may take you up on this in the future Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted June 18, 2013 Beeeautiful magnifying glass!! Looks like something that would belong to a classy fairy scientist 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 27, 2013 Nice work amazonian Ill post some photos of my work up in a few days in a new thread (it was referenced to earlier in the thread). Ive mostly worked with bone but am moving to jade as it offers a lot more possibilities. A few years ago I was contemplating selling pieces, everyone told me to sell them but none would buy. I would make 5-6 carvings/yr for gifts etc. Just this year Ive started working on a website and spending more time carving (nearly every weekend). Ive also started selling a few and have in the last month done 4 commissioned pieces worth a total of $1200. I do find carving some things boring but it pays for my hobby, and Id rather be carving then doing something else. One thing I did was train myself to carve when ever I listened to certain music, Id put it on and carve and after a while Id get into it. Soon enough Id just put on the music and feel like carving. Now I dont even need the music because Ive been doing so much carving I can get straight into the zone. Pricing pieces to sell is hard, you can sell for time and equipment used or for artistic merit or both. I use a combination of both. I also have some things, dugong for example, that I carve a lot of so I actually charge more for them even though they take less time because Im better at making them and I sell more. The funny thing with pricing is the works I sell for $400 I could easily put $800+ on them and they would still sell. It seems valuing it more makes people appreciate it more, and those willing to spend $400 are probably willing to spend $800. So dont be afraid to charge more for somethings. The chinese had two criteria for selecting jade carving. The first was that the carving had to be so perfect that no mortal could have carved it. The second was that the carving (abstract or not) should imbue life, that is you could imagine taking your eyes off it and it moving. These are things I try (sometimes successfully) to put into my work. The only other piece of advice I have is "make it look handmade, not homemade". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted June 27, 2013 (edited) I enjoy carving but dont get much time to do it unfortunately. I dont know if i would like to carve for a living though, as it would become a chore, but i can imagine selling the odd piece to buy some more carving material,or similar, might be on the cards. Your prices are realistic teonanacactl. People dont realize the time and effort that can go into a carving hey. Looking forward to seeing some more of your work teonanacatl. Nice work amazonian The only other piece of advice I have is "make it look handmade, not homemade". ^ this sounds like a quote that shaped or inspired your work ?! Edited June 27, 2013 by Amazonian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 27, 2013 For me it was a chore early on, like I said I had to get into the mood and I could do that for $. Now I get in the mood because I like it and I sell them. The more you do it the more patience you will develop and the better pieces and more you can do. Ive been carving so much I think Im getting RSI Yeah I love that quote, aiming for perfection is what separates good from great work. Here are some superb artists if you havent seen them: http://www.donnsaltjade.com http://www.natashapopova.com/contents.htm http://www.matthewglasby.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 27, 2013 The other thing is carving with shit tools is a chore. $ buys better tools and the whole thing becomes more enjoyable. I use a dremel with a flex shaft but 1 yr ago bough a foredom micro motor. I love it. Its quiet and very accurate and allowed me to enter a whole new phase of carving. Dremels are ok but even they lack torque, Im looking to upgrade to a low torque foredom flex shaft. Other things like ringsaws and bandsaws make the initial cutting out easier. Diamond coated bits allow you to smooth from 150 grit to 600 grit with the power tool which saves a lot of time in hand sanding, especially when it comes to getting into small nooks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted June 27, 2013 I find the dremel has too much torque with revs of 5,000 at the low end. Foredom have great tools, pricey but very usable. I saw a hand piece that was like $700...just for the hand piece . Maybe one day i will own one. I am familiar with one of the artists in the above links.( I will have a look at the others shortly.) There are no words that do justice to describe the beauty of those type of works...just amazing. It's like their higher self is carving, because how can a mere mortal carve something so great? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 27, 2013 The micromotors and flexshaft from foredom are only ~$350, and will outlast a dremel. Dremels struggle when you start using larger burrs, polishing bits or saws. Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art. ~Leonardo da Vinci Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in_spirit Posted June 28, 2013 So can I just ask (of anyone with an answer) what is meant by making it look handmade not homemade, just a little confusion here for me cos handmade can look crap and homemade can look great and vice versa, but homemade can be hand made and vice versa, but obviously hand made can be with the use of machines. I think art is only art if perceived as art by the viewer, some of what is accepted as art to me is crass and does not create? any emotion. While others in my opinion have gone too far and destroyed the piece by being too perfect or too frilly, but as I said art is perception - to each their own. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 28, 2013 Sure art is art, what ever the person buying is willing to buy is right. The quote may seem a little out of place and irrelevant but its something I strive for. To me it means make your lines flow nicely; sand away all of your tool marks; strive for perfection. As you say perfection may be a "rustic" look, but that doesnt mean it takes any less time- for example. In the quote handmade is good and homemade is bad- the quote itself comes from a leather working forum where handmade is preferred over machine stitched. Take away from it what you want. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in_spirit Posted June 28, 2013 (edited) Sure art is art, what ever the person buying is willing to buy is right. Mmm not what I was saying to me art is an artifact which inspires and instills emotion in another, many people buy pieces for many other reasons, future profit, or ego etc Edit to say sorry for the derailment of your creation thread Amazonian??? But home made - hand made??? Edited June 28, 2013 by in_spirit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in_spirit Posted November 28, 2013 Anymore to look at amazonian??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted November 28, 2013 (edited) Now i have a job, i am finding less time to be creative, but here are a few things i have been mucking around with recently. I made an ipad stand out of some recycled timber. I made an Ayahuasca pendant which is very simple. Its a jade leaf which is meant to represent a psychotria leaf, then there is some caapi wood inlaid into it. I wasn't happy with the finished product because i slightly burned the wood by buffing it with with a high speed rotary tool, so i have since removed the bit of caapi and am going to redo it. I carved a coin out of a random bit of rock i found amongst a heap of granite boulders on my bush walk. It is a whorl... part of a drop spindle used to spin yarn. I carved a lotus flower out of jade and its going to be part of a scene with lotus pads. The flower is about 1cm big, so quite intricate to work on. I haven't finished the flower itself, and the other day i dropped it and a few petals broke off, it was heart breaking,lol. So now i have to remove the broken petals and re-work it a bit. I will keep going back to this one and do other stuff in between. Ipad stand. Aya' pendant. Whorl. The characters are Kanji. From the top of the coin going clockwise, it says , Spirit Peace Eternity light. And on the reverse it says Friend. I really really like this piece Lotus. Edited November 28, 2013 by Amazonian 11 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in_spirit Posted November 29, 2013 Sensational, i love the lotus and the whorl thing will have to google that?? Is that an ipad mini , they are light enough to just hold aren't they, lol Love your work . 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted November 29, 2013 Is that an ipad mini , they are light enough to just hold aren't they, lol I like to put the 'mini' ipad on the stand i made and run the photo slide show whilst playing music on it . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 29, 2013 Very impressive and beautiful work (as always) That lotus must have been quite an undertaking! All those petals are so perfect and symmetrical, you are clearly very skilled! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted November 29, 2013 Amazing work Amz, some very impressive and intricate pieces you've made. That little loph button in the first post is cute. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in_spirit Posted November 29, 2013 Do you want to sell the lotus Amz, or maybe trade it or do you have other plans or is it something you are already doing for someone??? Let me know Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in_spirit Posted November 29, 2013 I am really liking the whorl thing too, granite you say like kitchen bench top??? Have you got a price on it Amz or is it just experrimental, and then why? Wh did you want to carve a whorl do you spin wool, i suppose you do you're crafty obviously, s c'mon i got money burnin a hole in my pocket - mmm not really but if we can agree???? Pm me? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted November 29, 2013 The material the whorl/coin is made of, isn't something I am familiar with. It's not granite as we can see, but it was with granite rocks, so maybe it contains some of the same minerals that granite does. It has flecks of quartz through it. The actual idea of the whorl wasn't my idea though, so I shouldn't really claim fame to it. The deal was a fellow carver was to carve a whorl out of the same material, same dimensions, but own design/charecters, and at the end we were to swap, but the carver who came up with the idea has become too busy to complete their whorl for trade. I don't mind, I am quite fond of the one I made. I haven't spun any fibre yet...I might get an alpaca or llama so I have an endless supply if yarn. Maybe I can spin the massive amounts of hair my Border collie sheds,lol. As for the lotus flower, I will be keeping that one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in_spirit Posted November 29, 2013 Ok so not for sale. Wellnif you ever do something that will be for sale can you include that info in your post. Please.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Micromegas Posted November 29, 2013 Wow awesome. The leaf and vine combo is a great idea. Great skill. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted December 2, 2013 nice thread. the lotus is awesome!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Widdershins Posted December 4, 2013 Absolutely beautiful, Amazonian. You have a really nice touch to carving, now I want to try it for myself. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites