Australian animals

Hi Folks, I haven't posted for a while but I've been fairly busy carving these animals for my Aussie animal stand. first I made a stand from driftwood and carved some dirty "bush" feet for it stand up in. First came the Kookaburra in camphor laurel, then the wombat in Mahogany, next the emu in camphor laurel, cane legs and Huon feet, then the koala bear and baby in stained Huon, turned out a bit dark but I just tell people it survived a bush fire:U. Next was the duck billed platypus in Mahogany and the latest a Kangaroo also in Mahogany. I have more on the list to do but might have a little break from animals and carve something else. Hope you enjoy viewing them, my personal favorite is the emu, got a bit character, the most challenging to carve was the Kangaroo. Oh there's a little red back in there as well :)

Those are all wonderful. The platypus brought back such a sudden memory of the first one that I saw, Taronga Park/Sydney. I'd just arrived in OZ for what became almost 4 years. Thanks.

Love em Rob! Its going to be a quirky, fun piece when you get them all done... a real talking point.

Great little carvings!

Claude

Thanks guys, RV, Yeah the duck billed platypus is a unique interesting little animal, not sure how it evolved but maybe there was a relationship between a duck and an otter at some stage :D
Whittling, I don't think there will be too many stands like mine around:), I debated for a while what to put on it but I'm glad I chose Aussie animals, personally I think they go quite well on it.
Thanks Claude, I enjoy looking at your little caricatures.

Maybe it's easier now but 50 years ago, we all in Canada were growing up with the notion that a platypus was far bigger, 10-15kg, like a young beaver (Castor canadensis). They are really little!!!
Your Monotremes have done so well in the absence of mammalian competition. Do take pride in them as they are unique on this planet.

WOW Rob, they look great! What a novel idea! Love it. A beautiful gathering of Australiana. They're all really cute. The emu is especially Cool :D
Well done :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Thanks Germaine, First you had Noah and his ark, now you have Rob and his stand Ha Ha :U I like the Emu best as well so far.

They all look great. I have never carved a 3D object...I think its called carving in the round if what I have read is correct? I have only tried relief carving and some whittling...but my whittling was nothing as good as what you have made. I envy people skill to do what you have done. Good work

Thanks Spoonman, Carving in the round is correct and mostly what I do, I've hardly done any relief carving and as you can see by my name I'm more of a chisel / gouge man. I also use power tools rasps and riflers a fair bit although in the roughing out stage I'm doing with hand saws at the moment, (no band saw and a broken jigsaw). If you want to go down the path of whittling there are some very experienced guys here who can advise you in that. maybe put up a picture of something you have done and people will advise you how to improve.

Ha ! just seen these Rob , nice , they have a really nice folk arty feel about them.
I'm surprised you managed to do them with chisels they look like ideal hand held whittling projects to me.
Someone is going to crush that spider thinking it is real a some point !
Mike

Someone is going to crush that spider thinking it is real a some point !
Mike[/QUOTE]
Ha Ha, Thanks Mike, funny you should say that about the spider, I put it on my wife's leg while she was having a nap one day and she totally freaked. I'm sure she'll destroy it sometime just to get me back.