Caldera Gallery - Bone Carving & Fine Art Photography by Carrie Adlington

Carvings

Framing &
Personalistion

Commissions

Testimonials

Brief History

Maori Symbols

Materials
& Processes

The Process - What’s involved?

Each carving I create is of my own design and is of the highest quality. With love and care each one can take from a few hours to a couple of days to complete using just hand tools. By using only hand tools I retain some of the Maori traditions. No part of the process is rushed, none of it a chore to be hurried so the next can be started. Care is taken at each stage to ensure that the shape and form of the handcrafted jewellery looks and feels great!

The bone is first thoroughly cleaned and dried to make it suitable to work with and wear. The most suitable piece is chosen for the design.

The Design

My principal inspirations are natural forms and Maori Symbols so I use these as my starting point. To the right is an example of a Pikorua (Twist) meaning the Path of Life, which is combined with the Koru (Spiral) meaning new beginnings.

Tools

Pictured: 1. Jeweller's Saw, 2-4 custom made gravers,
5. Half round ring makers file, 6. Half round needle file.
I also use a small hand drill and scribe.

Cutting out the design

The design is adhered to the cleaned bone which is then clamped into a vice. A fret or jeweller's saw is used to cut out the design, keeping to the outside of the black line.

Shaping the Carving

a) With files, the rough edges are smoothed using the paper design as a guide.	b) The paper is removed and the design redrawn so the actual shape is more apparent.	c) Form lines are drawn which help to determine the 3-D shape.	d) The final 3-D form is achieved by using the files and gravers.

Polishing & Completion

The Result

Several grades of sandpaper are used to smooth the surface of the piece, increasing the fineness as scratches are removed until a final polish brings out a beautiful glassy shine which feels very smooth to the touch.

The piece is completed by attaching a hand-braided waxed polyester cord. It is secured using slipknots which enables the cord to be adjusted to the desired length.

Most of these processes also apply to wood and soapstone carvings.

When worn, the carving will seem to become a part of you, if allowed to be in contact with your skin it will take on your spirit or mana and the milky-white will slowly be transformed to honey-gold.

According to the Maori when passed from one wearer to the next a bond is formed that transcends space and time leaving a part of you behind for generations that follow.

All website content is protected by copyright law which prohibits use without prior permission of the owner.
Carrie Adlington © 2008, 2009