While I've been away from the forum.......

[Cliff Rogers]

[Christos]

That's a good work in progress.

[Claw Hama]

Yep, I was sending the client a lot of shots to keep him informed so had a good line of progress.
Some things I didn't mention before....
The steel was polished and finished with White Knight clear rust coat, the timber was finished with hoe brew danish. The small feet were made slightly darker with a couple of coats of Bi Carb and water just to give a slight tonal difference.

And naturally the rasps are all Liogier, would love some more with different profiles.

[wheelinround]

I see you have kept it Newy style CH using Hoe's

Like that WiP piece very interesting the three fonds I might get you to make 3 more look ideal bowl coring tools just need a nice HSS tip

[Whittling]

They are all beautiful and thought provoking, but I have to admit a special fondness for your '1959' piece. Love the way you have left some of the tool marks and natural wood after the sanding/polishing. I don't know if the transition between raw wood and highly shaped and polished is supposed to represent anything, but I like it.

[Claw Hama]

Hi Guys
Ray no worries mate, what shape tool would you like

Whittling, being a bit of a darksider I like to keep a few tool marks here and there to show it wasn't just squeezed out of a mold like so much of the other things around us these days. I love it when people touch my work so I like to have a variety of textural finishes, the smooth and sexy through to a possible splinter. Even on my furniture I used to warn the clients that they would find a chisel or plane mark here and there. Makes it real.

[Robson Valley]

Yes, it's real. At the same time, you have scraped off all the rubbish of details which might limit the viewer's imagination. I like being left to my own mind's eye.
Thank you.

[underfoot]

here is another Huon carving called 1959, she is called that because thats the year I was born

..Ah yes...59 was an excellent vintage Claw..

[FenceFurniture]

Great work Mark. Anything with copper involved is always going to get my attention!

I hear that your next sculpture revolves around saw teeth, with much use of files. Any truth in the rumour?

Cheers
Brett

[Claw Hama]

I think everything we do is sculptural so YES.

[Claw Hama]

Next, this one is still well and truely under construction. A 2.8m high Huon mermaid. She is on a mission returning ghost nets to us dreadful humans who are polluting her oceans. Her tail fin and some of her body will be clad in copper strips and scales and she will be casting back a large net made of steel and full of roper, net, plastic etc. She will not be a happy pretty mermaid, more likely a mermaid with attitude I'll update this one as I do more to her. She has been on the back burner for a while.




Mark Aylward - Return to Sender 1- Huon Pine Copper Steel 2.5m high.jpgMark Aylward - Return to Sender 4 - Huon Pine Copper Steel 2.5m high.jpg

[FenceFurniture]

You could try carving on her face. Have you been using the "pull" rasp on her? (and there's an ENORMOUS hint there ).

[wheelinround]

Next, this one is still well and truely under construction. A 2.8m high Huon mermaid. She is on a mission returning ghost nets to us dreadful humans who are polluting her oceans. Her tail fin and some of her body will be clad in copper strips and scales and she will be casting back a large net made of steel and full of roper, net, plastic etc. She will not be a happy pretty mermaid, more likely a mermaid with attitude I'll update this one as I do more to her. She has been on the back burner for a while.




Mark Aylward - Return to Sender 1- Huon Pine Copper Steel 2.5m high.jpgMark Aylward - Return to Sender 4 - Huon Pine Copper Steel 2.5m high.jpg

Is this one of those wailing sirens or should that be whaling.

[Claw Hama]

I'd go with wailing Ray I think she would be firmly against Whaling

[fletty]

We went to the Sculpture Society's Exhibition at Darling Park last night. Claw's entry, 'Archaeology of Life' (known as 'spinal tap' to the straight line woodworkers amongst us!) didn't receive a gong and, until the last prize was awarded to another male, it was looking like Claw would have to undergo a sex change and age rapidly to get a prize!

spinaltap01.jpgspinaltap02.jpg


HOWEVER, all is not lost! There is a popular choice award and it behoves upon ALL Sydney CDB woodies to get to Darling Park (corner of Sussex and Market) to cast their vote!
All joking aside, there is some fabulous work in the exhibition from extreme realism to positively incomprehensible! The little old lady on the park bench and the circus clown got me in ... but not my vote!

keep up the good work Claw....

fletty

PS, apologies for the mobile phone pics BUT I was heading out for a big night and not carrying any excess weight!