I knew this would happen. Got an invite to the Tiki Oasis event which gets going the last weekend of August in San Diego. It killed me to say no but the logistics of getting everything together in a month just wasn't going to work for me this year. I will try again next time.
Since Sonic Youth is one of my all time bands I figured it would be disrespectful not to go see Thurston Moore on Saturday. It was at the Aladdin Theatre which I don't attend too often. I won't say it was a bad show but I was wishing I had brought a bottle of No-Doz with me. Nothing upbeat or loud, all art/poetry crap that did nothing to get the crowd moving like Sonic Youth could. Kurt Vile's hippie band set the slow pace, and the first band/guy was a sort of singing minstrel. zzzzzzzzzzz.
A near by neighbor said I could cut some beautiful old walnut from his yard.
Before he could get the word "black walnut" out of his mouth I was saying "YES!"
It was a bit of a haul but you gotta want it.
I kept it to the prime 4 foot cuts. Mixed in is some gorgeous cherry.
Then Mark and Elaura from next door called and asked if I wanted some noble.
The one on the left is over 6 foot tall.
I really wanted to complete this by Caliente.
After moving this hunk of cedar into my garage last week it was clear that it is wetter than I thought it was. No way it is ready to finish and paint so will wait a month or so and get it ready for Oasis in San Diego come August.
My time for the next few weeks will be spent finishing this piece of hemlock.
It is not the best wood I have ever carved, but I still am enjoying it.
I also added dark highlights in "Ben" by brushing a black, brown, orange dye into the deep portions
After applying I wiped the left over parts off.
A quick stand to display him.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Attended the show at Ella St Social Club as part of the Tiki Kon show that was here. I like a local surfy type band called Guantanamo Baywatch and when I heard they were the headliner I had to go. I had a great time and was treated to some lighted hula-hoop dancing wahines as well as a band called Wavesauce that features a girl playing a Theremin. It's the first time I have ever seen this instrument and you play it by waving your hands over some type of electronic box. I will have to research it to see how it works. When I first arrived I could hardly see the bar for all the hawaiian shirts but by the time G B got on most had left. Too bad as they were very good.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Besides a glitch to start things off (my tikis were still in the hotel storage room when the party started) Skootiki 2011 was huge fun. Saw great tiki art from the likes of Zerostreet, Tiki Tony, Bosko, Bamboo Ben, Flounder, Big Toe, Sam Gambino, Doug Horne, Eric October and more. I sold two framed prints as well as a few unframed. Don't know if any tikis sold but I did not find out till a few weeks later last year. Next is the Gresham Artwalk this Saturday and then I should get some time to do other things.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
My daughter Jamie's boyfriend Ryan teaches at the School of Rock here in Portland and I attended the show at the Backspace on Friday. The best indoor show that I have ever seen while it is still daylight! The kids were ages 8-14 I am guessing and just shredded songs from the Beetles, Nirvana, Twisted Sister, Who, Zeppelin and more. There is hope for the future my friends.
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"Dyson"
"Lonnie"
Tiki Central Swap
"Orville"
"Makemake"
"Tika"
"Nelson"
"Maka Puke"
"La Tsunami"
"Barry"
This is a bass wood sign I did for a Columbus, Ohio based designer of cool tiki bar lighting.
"Lauderdale"
"Eaton"
"Bernie"
"Ron"
"Stu"
"Surfin' Bird"
"'Ohiki" (Hawaiian for sand crab)
"Power"
"Juan and Atu"
"Beatrice and Giovanni"
"Airic"
"Bob"
One of my personal favs.
"Jared"
Rhymes with Scared.
"Toma"
And this is my favorite as I like his bad attitude.
"Tiki Kabob"
"Tiki Kabob 2"
"Flip"
Named Flip because he is wearing flip flops.
"Paddleman"
"Lucy"
"Growth Pole"
"Kit"
This is a memorial tiki for a friend.
The Real Jimbo
Thanks a lot to Jimbo Wallace. He is the bass player for Reverend Horton Heat and they purchased this tiki and took him home to Texas.
"Sufferin' Bastard"
Four color screen print.
"Black Clouds"
8 color screen print.
"Two Tikis"
8 color screen print.
"Brett Lambo"
8 color screen print done for the Skootiki show here in Portland.
Jimbo, Claude, Juan and Atu, Lombardo, and Airic.
My favorite carving tools.
"Lombardo"
He does use Polident but don't make fun of him.
"Jimbo"
It took most of a year but he is done. He is named after the Reverend Horton Heat's bass player.
He is a made from cedar.
Legba and Mehevi guarding their new digs in the Phillippines.
"Claude"
"El Boracho"
"Hans"
Named by my 9 year old nephew, Max, this was made in 2001 but I never photographed it till now.
Whitey's Frog
Legba
Legbas backside
Screen printed voodoo symbols on Legba
Mehevi
His name comes from a great book titled "Typee" by Herman Melville
Group photo
Flip
The back of Flip
Ali'i
Dick (Deadeye)
mouth and top light up
Willard and Ben
Palm
Gus
Here's an odd little guy, named for gusto as in "go for the." Also bite off more than you can chew. Why have a little when you can have a lot?
"Dong Clock"
Felix
Orin
Frog Island Tikis
Frog Island Tikis
About Me
- Frog Island Tikis
- I started carving tikis in 2000 after a trip to Maui. I love and appreciate Polynesian culture, but rather than follow traditional ways, I put my own rather twisted view on the matter. I build each tiki with a protective edge to watch over the owner's well being. Most of them are of redwood or cedar, but my brother-in-law Jimbo brings me excellent palm from California. I start with a chainsaw and then really get into them with chisels, files, and knives. I have read that the ONLY way to breath life into an idol is through use of hand tools, but if primitive man had access to a chainsaw I know he would have used it. Tikis are for fun. Mahalo- CY