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Carrara Curves

Carrara Curves completed. She traveled thousands of miles after sculpting her in Palos Studios in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Sandy, Cezar, and I took an epic journey to bring her home. Camping in our little camper for 7 weeks, traveling 10K thousand miles.. baking, biking, and hiking .. dodging wild fires, bears, elk, crack heads, and politicians .. We are humbled, and grateful we are among the few who saw Jasper Canada just before it was destroyed by fire. (my heart goes out to Jasper) Here’s a few pics.

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Stone In-lace cheat-sheet notes

Epoxy tools/products I use:

2 part epoxy & pump kit  I use.. later you can buy just the epoxy,  and not replace the pumps.
(this is really STRONG stuff and can be used on a lot of things … even stronger than Gorrilla glue)
https://www.amazon.com/System-Epoxy-Resin-Hardener-Metering/dp/B07JHC28CV/ref=pd_cp_263_1?pd_rd_w=mprvc&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=KJPB3V328FPVKTQFZ0TS&pd_rd_r=b7b8eaf8-d9ca-45b4-8ac1-cc5a31248b79&pd_rd_wg=7PWJ4&pd_rd_i=B07JHC28CV&psc=1&refRID=KJPB3V328FPVKTQFZ0TS

Epoxy resin colorant (black) only a couple drops needed … lasts long time
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Epoxy-Pigment-Colorant-Tint/dp/B06XD39K55/ref=pd_bxgy_328_img_2/137-3813150-7675111?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XD39K55&pd_rd_r=0ad1c515-4232-46f6-851b-7eb4875bc65b&pd_rd_w=r32yr&pd_rd_wg=NMPFO&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=M2K6TNWZ76WYE4834BYE&psc=1&refRID=M2K6TNWZ76WYE4834BYE

Inlace nuggets I use  … you should probably get about 3 jars
https://www.amazon.com/Inlace-Nuggets-50-Grams-Turquoise/dp/B06XJP2273/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=inlace+nuggets&qid=1566253649&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Other items needed, and probably have around the house.

– Popcycle sticks, or chop stick help with herding the nuggets, and tapping them down  
– Duct Tape or painters tape to use as a mask, and control running of the juices 

– rubber painting gloves !

– Sanding mask … simple 3M particulate mask will work

Process:

– get the basic sculpture finished down to roughly 80 grit sanding level

– let the sculpture dry and crack naturally for a month or more in a heated or AC space. (longer the better)  Heck I will put them in direct sunlight to expedite sometimes.

– use a die grinder with sharp pointed burr bit to clean up my cracks, and maybe add some additional swirls or art on the ends of the cracks to fully disguise big cracks. 

– Really deep cracks I will fill with saw dust or  cheap crushed rock substitute, so I am not filling the deep crack with Inlace product.For memorial pieces, I have even put human ashes in there too. Bring depth of crack up to about 1/4″ of surface with  substitute filler.

– BEFORE starting epoxy, I put one coat of poly in all the cracks and let it dry over night… this keep your lines sharp, and prevents the colored epoxy from running in the grain.

– Put painters tape or duct tape on both sides of crack to help keep the epoxy/nuggets from running all over your sculpture.

– mix resin and hardner, and colorant together in small plastic of paper cups.(not much colorant need!!)  Do small batches, this stuff gets hot and you will run out of time in about 30 minutes. The hotter it is outside, this less time you have !

– drip epoxy mixture into the cracks and push it around with popcycle stick, to get a nice thin bed of epoxy for inlace nuggets to initially lay  on.

– sprinkle inlace nuggets into the cracks, pushing and herding those wild @#$ers with a clean popcycle stick … some will bounce out.(bring nuggets up above surface level)

– sprinkle more epoxy ontop of the nuggets, to get good coverage.(you may need to do this several times)

– Let it dry overnight

– I like top rip the tape off before sanding, helps me surgically sand just the inlay

– (use a dust MASK) sand with 36 or 40 grit grinder sanding disk to sand flush with surface
– then I use 80 & 120 orbital sander to finish up sanding on the entire sculpture.- finish as you normally would

This 2 part epoxy with in-lace is seriously strong and tuff.Flat surfaces are easy, curved surfaces will need more tape prep-work.Create little tape dams to keep the lava like substance from oozzing off the project.It will look BUTT UGLY when you are going, but if you have put an initial poly sealant on the wood  it will sand off easily… but if you forgot the sealant prep,crack lines may not be crisp, and cleaning up spill mistakes will take more time.

Good Luck 

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Chaptacular 2018, Carve for a Cure, for Cystic Fibrosis.

I’m honored to have been part of Chaptacular (Carve for a Cure ) for  10+ years now. It happens every year on the 2nd weekend in November, in Gray,GA  and has gotten bigger and bigger every year. This year  over 50+ master carvers from across the country and the UK were invited to donate at least one carving, and participate in various fundraising activities, like speed carving and corporate sponsor carvings.    This past week we reached a new milestone of generating $183,000 for Cystic Fibrosis research.

This year I donated a Cherry Heart Dancer sculpture which sold in a spirited auction for $900, and also participated in a team carve creating a fun sculpture for one of our major sponsors, United Rentals.

We had  6,700 patrons attended this year’s event !

(see attached images)  #chaptacular2018 #sexysculpture #woodcarving #fineart

For more info on Chaptacular see:  http://chaptacular.org/

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Haunting questions, a catalyst for change.

While traveling on a epic journey in Africa, I was haunted by a question, “When am I going to drop this day job I hate, and start doing something that lifts my spirit?” Daily I watched animals scratching and clawing through each moment to simply survive. They were not worried about wasting their lives doing one thing or another. My haunting question answer never came to a conclusion on this trip, but the since of urgency in life planted deeply by their struggles.

Shortly after return from Africa, I learned of a dear friend much younger than me, fighting for her life against Cancer. The haunting question REALLY started to get louder and louder. The urgency of my question was reaching a frenzy.

Then some dear carving friends invited me to visit, share time, carving fun, and catch up on things. It was just what I needed ! I heard stories of how some folks spend their final days in rest homes, some with money, and some without. It was noted how the money saved was not a big factor in their final days. Then I heard how others took the calling of free spirited motorcycle adventures while they were still young enough to enjoy it. I soaked the stories in like sponge.

I did not envision myself in their shoes, nor did I consider how I would have done things differently. However, I did reflect that I was raised conservatively, such that I was compelled to ALWAYS be prepared financially for my future, and this seemed to be a crux of my quandary on when to retire.

Saving, saving, saving for retirement, is what my parents did, so I guess that wore off on me. But the brutal fact is, my mother died at 63, very shortly after retirement, and she never got to enjoy those savings. As I reflected on our conservative nature, and mom’s conclusion, a dear friend reflected on how it seemed I was following her same path. His clear, truthful words stabbed my like knife. He sensed his words impacted me deeply, and he tried to apologize, but it was exactly what I needed to hear!

After careful thought, I’ve decide to quit my job, take the summer off, and start a new adventure.

I have 5+ unfinished sculptures that need time and attention, I am certain my time will not be wasted on them.

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ButtCheek Dangers

Man I pulled a muscle in my Butt Cheek while carving a Butt Cheek,  then broke a chain while carving a Butt Cheek, glad I had on all my safety gear,  cause these Butt Cheeks are dangerous 🙂

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Let the shit go … possession obsession

You know one of the best things that ever happened to me was to loose everything I owned in a house fire. (Dec 15th, 2002)

I know that sounds bizarre, but it really helped me break the cycle of collecting unneeded STUFF! For Insurance purposes, I spent about a month itemizing all the crap I had in my house. I had no idea how much crap I had, until I sat down and went through every room/closet mentally, and took notes. It was interesting to look back at the items I bought back first, they were simple basic things that I needed the most, and things that truly helped me deal with “stress.”

  • Clothes
  • Mtn Bike
  • Boom box stereo
  • Music
  • Musical instruments
  • Booze, lots of booze …

It felt like I was back in college again, I literally could fit everything I owned in my Jeep, as I was moved from hotel, to hotel, by the insurance company. Each time in the store and I saw things I used to have, I would pause, and question:

  • do I really need that now?
  • do I want to haul that stuff around when/if I move?
  • is that what I should buy?
  • is it the best buy for my money?
  • should I wait till the house is built back before buying it

It seemed I had developed a type of panic attack or phobia when buying stuff back. Before it was over with, I started to hate to go shopping, because I was always having to make all these decisions. On top of that, it was not easy getting reimbursed for my lost belongings. Fighting with the insurance company to pay me what they owed, literally became a full time job, so this made me even more wary of purchasing items. (which I suspect, was the Insurance company’s goal)

years after the fire, I still find myself asking these questions when considering a purchase.

I found what I really needed was a creative outlet, a new hobby to take my mind off things. Creative expression became a much more powerful tool to make me feel good about myself. I no longer felt the need to impress people with things I purchased. How silly that old satisfaction seems today. Note, to other bachelors out there, the “quality” of women I have met/impressed with my creativity, instead of purchases, is WAY better too. 🙂

15+ years later …

  • Possessions released, and never returned
  • Friends evolved into family
  • Rage channeled into art
  • Unknowns accepted
  • Control released
  • Love strengthened
  • Urgency noted
  • Passion magnified
  • Humility respected
  • Grateful senses expanded
  • Spirit… cleansed …

Create it, and set yourself freeeeee …

Gregor

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I will never, EVER, say I’m bored again:

At Thanksgiving dinner, 2002, my folks asked, “So, how are things, in Atlanta?”, I paused, and responded, “I’m little bored.” A couple weeks later, right before Christmas, my mom was diagnosed with a fast growing cancer, and my house burnt to the ground from an electrical fire. My Insurance company dragged it’s feet at ever turn, my rage was out of control, I certainly was NOT bored anymore, and had revenge on my mind. A great friend and fellow band mate, Jimbo, showed up with a set of carving tools, a six pack of beer, and said, “let’s create some art.”

Next thing I knew, we were carving Hawaiian styled tikis and venting my rage into logs with a mallet and chisel. I fell in love with carving. We started carving scary faces in hollow logs, much like you would a Jack-a Lantern. We tried filling them with candles, lights, and then tried PROPANE! YEA BABY, propane in mass quantities, and 10 foot high flames jumping out of scary tiki faces, that’s what fun people want to dance around. The next thing I knew, we were creating fire sculptures for parties and festivals, and it helped distract me from the evil insurance company and mom’s painful fight for her life.

I was lucky to find this outlet, and started channeling my rage, sorrow, and spirit back to a positive place through sculpture. I am forever grateful, to all my friends and family that helped me through those difficult times.

This picture is of my very first sculpture, I title it the Release, and burned it at one of the 1st TransformUs gatherings.
I will never say, “I’m bored”, ever again.

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2017 Xmas came early

Unexpected holiday gifts of Cherry and Sycamore logs just dropped 2 doors down … score ! .. plenty goddess carving wood to last for a while ..
These are all wet-green, and each one of these weighs a lot more than me ! These are just small pieces off these massive trees. 🙂

Had a great fun cutting into these with Chad Awalt.
We both love these precious hard woods and plan to make a lot of art out of these.I even swept up a ton of wood chips and gave to the Chastain pottery group for Raku firings.. this old tree is going to make all kinds of great art.

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Sincerity

An original Terracotta sculpture by Gregor with a faux bronze finish, the Sincerity sculpture reflects the sincerity seen in the eyes of the people we care for the most.

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Spook Boo

Sculpted in Red Oak, this fun scary mask adorns my front door in hopes to scare off the fanatics who like to pitch their close minded view on life.

Truth be told, it isn’t working so well, but it makes for a great conversation. hehe…