Lachlan Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Been ages since I posted any stuff. Suggestions/questions welcome. Since I last posted Ive started selling some, so the hobby pays for itself. Most pieces are just mucking around with new techniques, twists, cross overs, inlay etc. Ive arranged them under the material they are made from. Cow bone Black coral Pearl shell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Twilbeck Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 All very nice I like them all. Great work. Very inspiring ... Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Love the work Lachlan. Very beautiful. I'm glad we're in touch. Billy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 nice havent broken into bone yet next on my plate then antler. what do you use for inlay on your projects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachlan Posted March 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Black coral, pearl shell, silver and a secret resin from a native plant. The resin is not water soluble and is very tough. The resin in items worn everyday last for years, especially when frequently polished with body oils. They have actually outlasted the stains on items worn in the water everyday. The colour I can manipulate from black to light red as you can see in the pictures above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 why is it a secret resin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bella Nicol Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Absolutely wonderful, dugong how I interesting. Thank you for sharing! I enjoy the spatial patterns of your inlay as well just lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 very nice keep it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachlan Posted March 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Why cant I keep it a secret? Besides its an Aussie native that is protected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 ok understood as a teacher i just dont like secrets they tend to get forgoten with time. thats why i always share what i know.i was mostly wondering if it was a personal or cultural thing. got to say my favorite is the flower with with the string running thorugh the deperession in the end almost looks like it is coming out of a hole in the bottom of the flower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachlan Posted March 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 The resin has had a long use by the aboriginal people of Australia, not for this purpose but as a glue of sorts. Its personal for me as the first bone I carved was when I was living in a very remote region of Australia in a tent. We were hunting feral cattle for food and I just so happened to have a file and sandpaper for sharpening my broadheads and knife. Cattle rib bones proved thin enough to carve with the file, knife and sandpaper. As they were simple in shape I added detail by doing these inlay type designs. The resin was our secret fire starter as it would burn even when wet, keep the mozzies away and it smelt nice. I even use to throw it in the stone oven we made when cooking bread to give it a unique taste. I collected enough resin then to last me a life time. Ive told people what it is and they have gone looking for it only to find really poor quality stuff or none at all. So Im happy Ive got my collection. There is no stopping anyone from trying resins from other trees, local to their areas. What you want is one that is thermoplastic and does not dissolve in water. To get the resin into the holes I heat it to melted and push it in with a needle- it sounds easier than it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Great carvings, I particularly like the geometric ones. Interesting and unique story around the resin, I guess that suggests we should all be open to what is around us. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 thanks lachlan i enjoyed the story glad you told it because before it was just some pictures of stuff you made. now with the story on the resin the carvings take on the life of the artist. and your story inspired me and makes me wonder if i can get my own resin from local trees. how do you collect it from trees? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Hi Lachlan, Neat work, the inlays are adding so much to an already well executed carving, congratulations As for natural glue, some people should look into birch tar, widely available, easy to make and has been used since late paleolithic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachlan Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Thanks for the kind comments. Depends on the plant as to how you would collect the resins. I normally look on the trunks for wounds as the trees normally produce it to protect themselves. Another use for the resins is as stains for wood or bone. The same red resin above is acetone soluble and so makes a fantastic waterproof dye for bone pieces. Another tree with dark red sap that is water soluble makes a nice stain for timber. There are also a lot of resins used in incense which can be purchased whole- benzoin, dragons blood, frankincense etc. I havent tried any of them but if your stuck. I guess to add to the story everything I use is found in this area and is of some significance to me. The cattle we hunt for food; the black coral washes up after storms; the pearl shell and pearls are from a friends pearl farm. At the moment I feel Im still experimenting with different ideas and styles (I can definitely tell you which pieces are more me than others)- in my next carving I would like to incorporate a carved pattern motif for example. Ive just bought some supplies to get started on Jade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bella Nicol Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 I have an affinity for pearls, how lucky are you for all of those goodies being readily available! Really looking forward to seeing more work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.