Thread: 0rca

Looking good so far. Would like to see it finished if and when... I've got a friend... cousin of a brother in law... who is a native american carver. They are very particular about style and form.

There are a few details that I would have preferred to have made a bit thinner ,the tail and dorsal fin but think it would make vulnerable to damage on a hiking pole

I like the look of there art so I will probably go with there style of design but will keep a open mind . I will limit the colour but I wont paint the body of the animal just a few touches of colour .
the eyes of there style are very good large but effective simple yet sophisticated like the mouth

Looks good!

Claude

I like this. The eye is certainly "North Coast." The rest of the designs for the pectoral and dorsal fins are inconsistent. The trigons and U-shapes need to be more carefully designed. But only if you wish to follow North Coast tradition.
Me? I'm not too concerned. Of the 4 styles, I prefer mid-coast. NC is so simplistically wonderful but all the bits have to fit together.

I will have to look into the different styles more, but I am more concerned with the design and how it fits on a walking pole. some parts I would have liked to made thinner but it would make it venerable to damage so I tend to be wary of designing something that would cause a problem later
but I am at this stage with it and stamped my own design on it
DSCN3226.JPGDSCN3227.JPG

I think that's important = to stamp your own design on it and not attempt to disguise it as native. Shows cultural respect. PacNW art and carvings have been all around me for most of my life, they've had a big influence. So I "invented" a couple of design elements which are not a part of any native design style.

Drawing exercises and all, this is likely the best ever reference to PacNW native art and carving styles.

Learning By Designing. .. Pacific Northwest Coast Native Indian Art Volume 1. 800+ illustrations
Jim Gilbert & Karin Clark
Copyright 2001 Karin Clark ISBN 0-9692979-3-9
Northwest coast native indian art books about drawing, painting, carving and designs in the Pacific First Nations style

thanks for the post
I am looking into the different designs not to copy them but for ideas . I wouldn't disgrace there work its to good but they are interesting
I have a couple of books on there art one looking at totem poles by Hilary Stewart which is interesting the other on general Indian art
But will have a look into the book you mentioned anything with those type of skills in is a great asset .It is surprising how good they are both in the design and colour
I love of the raven with its beak down but don't know anything about it but think it would make a interesting project for a hiking pole
Love the site you suggested the wolf and how they reached the conclusion is very interesting will dive into it further many thanks

Recently, I bought several of Hilary Stewart's books on PacNW art, carvings & cedar. Wonderful body of work. Having carved western red cedar, mostly, for the past 15 years, that gives me quite an appreciation for old things.

Actually for design ideas, Google the search term UBC/MOA. In there, you will find an online collection of some 44,000 objects that you can sort and examine.
University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology. A stunning venue, big enough for whole, standing, totem poles. Plan on 2 days in there.
My ambition, not yet accomplished, is to make a bent wood box (aka kerf-bent). I know of 10 different corner designs and I can cut a 6" corner in about 20 minutes but the wood always bursts in the steam bending. I guess those are not exactly cane toppers.

On the subject of "Own Design" =, I was reminded of an interview with Michael Booble. He was doing a show and found out that Tony Bennet was in the ordiance . It made him quite nervous apparently. Anyway when Michael came off stage and went to meet Tony he was very apologetic, saying that he had listened very intently to all the contemporary singers and styled his delivery on a lot of them. Tony just smiles and said "Kid, you are not imitating any one person, you have developed your own style."
Obviously Michael was quite chuffed for Tony to say that

have had a quick look at the site you recommended ,Need to spend some time browsing it impressive
I an not familiar with the wood so cant comment on it I mainly use hazel for the shanks and its pretty easy to bend .You will have to post some pic.of your corner designs and of how you try to bend the wood .

I look at canes and toppers with a new perspective. Bad fall in mid Sept/15. Just the other day, I realized that I could see my right ankle bones! How about that! To me, my cane is a third point of balance when I have a "wobbly" day.
I guess what I'm saying is that I need something comfortable under my right hand, something I may have to lean on to keep from tipping over. Nothing posh but I'd love to burn the damn thing.

Bent wood box corners. Got some drawings somewhere. Several years of other carvings in between. Bought some magnificent PacNW Yellow Cedar to have another go at it but life gets in the way.

One of my favourite sticks to make is the cardigan stick with a water buffalo horn cap and collar there very comfortable to use and would recommend them
They look good
this is one I have nearly finishedDSCN3150.JPG

considering using glass eyes for the orca so had a quick look at the effect they have as I have a few handy for other projects
straighten the shank using heat gun and a wheel I use for shaping the shank whilst hot just a quick bend on it move it along slowly and bend the next length dosnt take long
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Given the symmetry of the eye, that's North Coast style (Haida, Tlingit, Timshian) and the red/black are the traditional primary colors. Maybe some white and bare wood but nothing else. Yellow and blue are secondary colors, usually a give-away that you're looking at Mid-coast (Kwakwaka'Wakw) style. Mid coast color is like North coast but with orange/yellow, blue and green used as well.
If I get to vote, I'll go with the red.

Post13: I think that topper would feel pretty good under the hand. When I have "wobbly" days, I find I really do put some weight on my cane.