GIMP brush play

Yesterday I began a stone sculpture of an oriental woman. Unfortunately, today I was unsuccessful and as with any stone carving, you can't replace he stone once it as been removed. I am disappointed, but life goes on. I think I'm going through a dry spell for new work at the moment.

Maybe this image can replace the disappointment.

An experiment with all the different brushes from GIMP editing software.

Deer antler progress

I don't know if anyone can see the difference from the previous images of this bone carving but I hope you can. Today I began carving Pounamu (greenstone) which will be incorporated into the carving. I'm also pretty sure this won't polish up as nice as I would like.

Carving progress

Well I have spent the last two days carving my deer antler. I have made some progress and am now at the last stages of cleaning up the line-work and other detailing. I still have two days left on the course so hope to at least begin on the cows horn.
I hope to have some photo's to place on here tomorrow night.

Heading South

Well, this Sunday I head south for 7 days. I'm off to a bone carving course. I'm generally someone who doesn't work with others as I want to create with no outside influences in my designs. I do love to share what I learn as I learn. This makes room for more creative thought.
As I am developing my skills I feel I need to attend this course to learn about the different tools and how to use them in a more productive and economical way.

I have been thinking about the bulls horn that is in one of my earlier posts and while on trademe (like ebay) I saw a bone carving the same colour as my piece of bone. It is being advertised as a Buffalo horn so for now or until I'm proved wrong that is what it is, a Buffalo horn.
I have sketched up two designs on beef bone to take with me to carve but will also take a blank piece of deer antler and try to stick to the curriculum.

In all likely hood I won't have any internet access while I'm away but should return with some new pieces of bone to place on here.
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The illustrations are coming along. Not much to say about them yet but I can say the deadline is this Sunday.

Illustration

I have a small job illustrating a cook book. I have fifteen or so images to complete by this Sunday.  It will be nice to see my name in a book as illustrator.....artist....artwork by,  or what ever they call it nowadays.

Manaia update

As you can see below the progress is reasonably slow mostly because I choose to use hand tools instead of electric tools. I have cut the bone in half  for a reason, which I will reveal when the time is right. Due to the age of the bone it looks and feels like a white wood. I'm not sure how it will polish up once completed.

I can give you a rough outline of the meaning so far. This is not written in stone, just a starting point. The Spiral patterns represent turmoil while the Manaia weaves it's way through the water. This is what I see at present and once I have completed the carving I will have a better understanding of it's meaning then.

The top image shows the tail of the Manaia wrapping round the bone.

Manaia day 3

The slowest process has begun. I've started carving the pattern design. It's still early days but as you can see from my previous posts it's starting to progress nicely.

 A day off tomorrow and hopefully I'll be back into it on Tuesday.

Bulls horn sketch

If anyone has an idea of what type of animal this bone belongs to please place a comment. Obviously the tip has been carved by the previous owner. It had been polished before I received it. Whether the polish gave the green look to it I'm unsure.

The sketch depicts 3 Manaia (Guardian spirits) ascending to heaven. I haven't quite worked out the story completely yet and would rather leave the meaning as is so you can come to your own conclusions. It will stand upright once carved.

Title: Ascension

Bull horn.

I have a lovely bone which is from some type of bull.  I don't think it's a  bulls horn from the normal breeds in NZ but it's a beauty. I've just designed a nice Maori design on it so it's all sketched it up and will take photo's tomorrow. I'm debating whether to take it with me to a bone carving course I'm going to at the end of this month or start working on it beforehand.
The bone was already polished and has had a small carving, which really isn't a carving.  You will get to see it tomorrow anyway.

Manaia carving (part 2)

Showing a bit more detail from the previous session I can see where I'm heading with this carving now. Vision is not guaranteed but I can only keep working away until it is complete.

The image below shows the earlier stage from the one above. This is carved from deer antler.