[James K]

Hi all,

I am a stone sculptor, jewelry maker. I have been carving for 15 years and have always done art of one kind or another.
I have extensive experience with fossil ivories/ fossils/dinosaur material and just about everything else created on the earth.
Presently I am learning to carve jade and am working on 200lb piece in preparation for the 400lb piece I have cut cabochons for
about 20 years as a hobby and took up jewelry so I could put all those stones to use. I teach soft stone carving/fossil ivory carving.
looking forward to seeing how a carving list fares-pretty unusual...but then we're a pretty unusual bunch so there ya go!

Best
James

[Irishcarver]

James K, on Apr 30 2010, 02:53 PM, said:

Hi all,

I am a stone sculptor, jewelry maker. I have been carving for 15 years and have always done art of one kind or another.
I have extensive experience with fossil ivories/ fossils/dinosaur material and just about everything else created on the earth.
Presently I am learning to carve jade and am working on 200lb piece in preparation for the 400lb piece I have cut cabochons for
about 20 years as a hobby and took up jewelry so I could put all those stones to use. I teach soft stone carving/fossil ivory carving.
looking forward to seeing how a carving list fares-pretty unusual...but then we're a pretty unusual bunch so there ya go!

Best
James

Welcome James.

I'm sure you have plenty of knowledge to pass on here!

Damien

[nz yank]

Welcome James

look forwared to see some of your work. and read your input cheers Terry

[Chuck Leake]

Hey neighbor.
I live across the border in Fairbanks Alaska. If you live in Whitehorse and carve ivory you probably know my friend Alex. Is Sid still cutting rock over there?
One of the nice things about living in the north is access to interesting material. If you ever make it over this way stop by for a visit.
Chuck

[James K]

Chuck Leake, on May 1 2010, 05:59 PM, said:

Hey neighbor.
I live across the border in Fairbanks Alaska. If you live in Whitehorse and carve ivory you probably know my friend Alex. Is Sid still cutting rock over there?
One of the nice things about living in the north is access to interesting material. If you ever make it over this way stop by for a visit.
Chuck

Right On! yes I know Alex quite well, he's been a great help to my career as an artist and is still a good source for ivory, or he was last time I talked to him a couple months back, and Sid is still cutting rocks-counter tops, head stones and the odd pretty. I think he will till the day he croaks. He still has the ten foot gantry diamond saw as well-@250 an hr! I dealt in ivory for alot of years, we must've met at some point? I found the local serpentine highly carvable and stock piled enough to carve but I'm onto jade at the moment and its like a door opened and I just stepped through. And you are right the material up here is something else! If your through here let me know you can stop in to the studio too. I dont get up that way often.

Here's a few pics of different things I do. The bear claw necklace was taken from Liard Hot springs a month ago, it is possible it's in Alaska? if you see it please let me know

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[James K]

1. two serpentine's together-Black Chlorite form BC/ Spotted egg from Whitehorse.

2. Massive included serpentine/granite/garnet/pyrite from Whitehorse, I call it the Serpent.

3. The back side.

4. Familiar. Clear dark serpentine/spider limestone.

[nz yank]

Thanks for the post James I like your work Ya got to love the stone do you ever go to the bir sur jade fest we are going to try to go 2012. we are planing a 6 week trip over to the states. im from colorado and moved here to New Zealand 9 years ago. my wife ruth is from nz. cheers Terry

[James K]

Thanks Terry, I've just recently found out about that festival, would Love to get my hands on some of that blue jade!! Next year may be an option, we'll see how the carving goes this summer and if I can sell some of it.

[Chuck Leake]

I will keep an eye out for your bear claw piece. After 30 years of carving ancient whalebone and ivory I am going back to my roots and will be caving small waxes ,casting them in bronze and incorporating them in sculptures that will include mineral specimens. I am afraid the dust is caching up with me. How do you sell your work? I have five galleries in Alaska that represent me. I sell everything I make but it is getting harder to make a living as an artist.
I appreciate your work.
Chuck

[nz yank]

James K, on May 5 2010, 11:34 AM, said:

Thanks Terry, I've just recently found out about that festival, would Love to get my hands on some of that blue jade!! Next year may be an option, we'll see how the carving goes this summer and if I can sell some of it.

Hi James

yes that blue jade looks nice. I was talking to a guy a few mounts ago who lives in boulder colorado but has a minning claim in yuko. he has pulled out 25 tons of the jade and was looking to sell it. I will do some reserch to see if I can find his details again. I belive he goes to the big sur show every year. just found it his name is roger Krichbau he is on facebook look him up cheers terry