Wooly Mammoth Bookends
Today (December 13, 2003) I finally completed the Wooly Mammoth Book-Ends. Here's some photos --
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Here's me carving on the tusks and trunk
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That's my cat Luke on the right.
I'm teaching him how to carve stone.
He's really a good student - look how attentive he is to the tiniest detail.
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When I started the woolly mammoths,
it was still warm enough to work outside.
But now, in December, it's a bit too cold for that, so I had to move my worktable
inside.
Also, I always wear a dust-mask when working,
even outdoors.
I just took it off for the photos.
Stone carving makes lots of dust.
If you try it, get an N-95 mask at Walmart - about 4 or 5 bucks.
The cheap masks, about five for $3 or $4, are useless.
It took about 60 hours to complete both mammoths and their bases.
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All the stones look white while
you are carving them, even the black ones.
It is only after sanding and polishing them that you can see their true colors.
Here, both mammoths are finished with the carving process --
only, one I have sanded and polished, and the other I have not.
Both are carved from the same piece of stone.
That's all for now. I have another
project in mind for the next carving. Hmm, what could it be??? :-)