WAR HORSE / OMA Pic's added

[Mah ' Crub]

Hello,

This is my first posting, love the site! I want to see what you all think about my newest piece, been working on it the last couple of years. Its made of basswood, its 11 ft tall, 8 ft long and 4 ft wide. It is both addative and subtractive sculpture. The slabs of wood used are 2" to 3" thick so it is very heavy! The sea horse unicorn is about 6 ft tall itself. The sea horse ears are made of hammered copper with dark blue patina. ( Hammered copper work is another passion of mine ).
This is a maritime tribute to my father, on of 6 men to escape the USS ARIZONA alive during the attack on PEARL HARBOR, as well as a tribute to all mariners and seafarers everywhere.
Based on the concept of the PHOENIX, this is a " Sea Phoenix " in that it is the bow stem figure head risen from the deep and once again cresting the waves of the sea.817588

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[VulgarDragon]

All I can say is wow and that I am really impressed. It is a beautiful piece of work and I like the antique look of the sea unicorn....very creative reimagining of sea horse.

[felixdasilva]

excelent piece... beautifull

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you! It's been a long haul ! I wanted this piece to look like it has just risen from the sea floor. I had a lot of fun with the seahorse unicorn concept. I actually did a lot of the detail sculpting on the horse at my gallery in Saint Augustine. It would cause a stir among the costomers who were just passing by. I got a lot of encouragement from those people as the stopped in just to watch me work. I want to do at least four more of the ships figureheads.
Next one is going to be a mermaid blowing into a conk shell.
Thanks again. I have lots of " in progress" shots as well, if anyone is interested.
I learned a lot about boat building while making the hull. Thats the nice thing about being creative, it leads you into unexpected territory!!!!

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Felix, I really had a lot of fun with this.

[Darkwulf's Talon]

A superbly crafted piece! Well done, the effort shines through.

The waves, to carve and make mirror smooth, must have taken forever? I like the barnacles as well.

Also a small note about the highly detailed man in the first picture, he must have taken forever. ;-)

[Darkwulf's Talon]

A superbly crafted piece! Well done, the effort shines through.

The waves, to carve and make mirror smooth, must have taken forever? I like the barnacles as well.

Also a small note about the highly detailed man in the first picture, he must have taken forever. ;-)

[Darkwulf's Talon]

A suberbly crafted piece of art! Well done, the effort shines through.

The waves, to carve and get mirror smooth, must have taken forever? I really like the barnacles as a subtle addition.

Also the highly detailed man in the first picture is very good too ;-)

[Darkwulf's Talon]

A suberbly crafted piece of art! Well done, the effort shines through.

The waves, to carve and get mirror smooth, must have taken forever? I really like the barnacles as a subtle addition.

Also the highly detailed man in the first picture is very good too ;-)

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you so very much! Yes it took me about three years to complete.There were as many hours in the wooden waves of the pedestal as there were in the figurehead.I sanded until all my hair fell out. And then sanded somemore! All the way from 40grit down to 400 gt.It has about 12 coats of laquer on it.
Glad you noticed the barnacles! Good eye! I sculpted each one, one by one, until I felt like Barnacle Bill!!
Thanks so much for your kind words!!!!!
The guy in the first picture is still a work in progress

[Bongsplat]

Really excellent

A beautiful Tribute and an awesome job on the sculpt,It looks HHHHuuuuuggggeee!
:)

[Aizkur]

WOW¡ Congratulations this is an excelent piece of art, all in your work is perfect.

[Darkwulf's Talon]

Sorry for the multiple posts, think it went a bit haywire :-(

Was this a commission job or soemthing done by driven by your own passion?

Good luck with the other 3 and I hope that they will be near each other or at least on some sort of 'Maritime Trail' so that people can appreciate the contrasts between them.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you, Bongsplat, Aizkur and Darkwulf!
Thank you all, for your kindness. Its great when other artists like your work!
Its nice when the general public likes it , but it means so much more when other pro's give you kudos. I have been looking at all the work on this site and I am honored to be recongnized by you all!
This piece is huge ! The seahorse/unicorn started off weighing about 300pounds. Although I whittled that down a bit,{ no pun intended }, by carving away so much wood. And yes, I would hope some collector would want all four of them to put in a large hall of some sort. I was going to show it at the Orange County Convention Center, but they could not offer any security for it. They told me people would want to climb on it and get their picture taken !
I will be posting some wip pic's soon, just to show how it was done, and also some pics of other work. I have finished two carved coffee tables that are unique as well as some marionettes. Thanks again ! ITs soooo uplifting to hear your kind words !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi again,
Sorry, I didn't answer your question. This was not a commision piece. It was just something inside of me that needed to get out !!! I actually think that I needed to do for some reason. Thats the great thing about art, you never really know where something comes from. Plus I wanted to do it for my Dad, even though he is gone now, I felt it was something I needed to do for him !!!!!!!

[SavageGoldfish]

Wow. That is one heck of an impressive piece, I can tell a lot of love and dedication went into making it. It's a great tribute!

I was going to show it at the Orange County Convention Center, but they could not offer any security for it. They told me people would want to climb on it and get their picture taken !


Isn't that the sad truth?

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you Jiangzu !!!!!
You are right! Lots of love. The dedication was the tough part because the piece kept expanding. The sea-unicorn, { I seem to call it something different every time I talk about it !} took something like months and months and months to finish and then I decided to actually mount it to the bow of a ship. Ok, so, now I have to build a ship! And then out of necessity, it needed a pedestal. But no ! Not just any pedestal !!!! It had to have a breaking wave and a bow crest as well !!!
HUFF PUFF !!!! And hey, it had to look like it came from the bottom of the sea, complete with mold,mildew, moss, seaweed, rust and barnacles , lots of them !!!!But really, it truly was a very sad day when I actually stood back and said, "finished".
Do you know what I mean?
By the way, I just checked out your thread," first Critter", OH MY GOD !!!
I loved it!!!! Wonderful !!! It looks like a lovable, playful and hugable monster thingie !!!! And you paint job was KILLER!!!!! The way you stripped the legs and shoulders was perfect! You have a wondeful eye and hand !!!!
Please give us more!!!!!!!! Soon !!!!!! I happen to love your color choices, very realistic. Air brush?
Thanks again !

[SavageGoldfish]

I totally understand what you're saying when it's kind of sad when you're finished. I feel that every time I finish working on something I have taken weeks or months to finish--I can't imagine what it would feel like after working on something for years! It's great to stand back and see the finished product, but then there's that feeling of "Aw...I'm done...now what?"

Thank you so much for your compliments on my sculpture! I really put alot into it, I'm going to be applying to a special effects school, and wanted a few good portfolio pieces for scholarships and things. I painted it with a regular paintbrush and watered down acrylic paint--I wish I had an airbrush, I am planning on getting one eventually, it would certainly make the first basecoats alot easier! I'm going to be starting a new piece as soon as I scrounge up some wood for an armature stand (you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a sheet of plywood in this town!)

[Breath of Life]

This is truly an awe-inspiring piece of work! So many different materials and processes involved. Please do post some of those progress shots you mentioned.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you Breath of Life ! I hope to post some new pic's soon!
Going through my files, its such a mess!! Any way, really glad you liked my piece ! It was totally consuming for a long while, but now that its done, I have to start looking for a buyer for it so I can move on to the next piece!
Thanks again for your kind words!

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi Jiangzu, I see you do understand. If you can get your hands on an airbrush you will fall in love with it !!! Great tool !!! I used to paint a lot of pic's with it, and it works great on my marionettes. It makes very realistic shadows and such. I also use it in my furniture trade, great for ageing all the cracks and crevices. Good luck with that scholarship ! And keep up the good work !!!!!

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi Guys, Here's the first few wip's ! 824639

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[Mah ' Crub]

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[Mah ' Crub]

Hope the above pic's whet your appitites some what. Thanks for the intrest and the questions and the great input. MORE TO COME !!!!

[Mah ' Crub]

Hey Guys, and Gals,
Here are more of the WIP'S of how I made the beast. More to come of the pedestal and the ship's bow. Questions and comments welcome!

[SavageGoldfish]

Yay, WIP shots! That's a lot of measuring, cutting, and glueing before you can even get to the fun stuff like carving.

And hooray for swiss made tools!

[Mah ' Crub]

Hey Girl ! Whats happen' in! Yes, its a lot of head scratchin work, but its really easy too. You just put it together and then start taking it away a chip at a time.
But seriously, you just have to think ahead. And yes, those swiss can put an edge on some metal. They are so sharp that, when they get dull, I just polish them on a buffing wheel with some buffing compound. Sharper than sharp! Expensive but worth every penny. What's new with you? Did you find some plywood?

[SavageGoldfish]

Yes I did, I've put together a couple stands, got a wire armature done last night and will be starting to slather clay on it later today. I'll have some WIP shots up as I work. The critter I'm working on now is a bit of a warped interpretation of an eastern dragon. I got some new tools and can't wait to try them out.

[Mah ' Crub]

I love dragons, I am finishing up my first book, and one of the heros is a dragon. That reminds me, I need to post some pic's of some dragon forearms and claws that I made to go on either side of a fireplace several years ago.
Uuuummmmm ! New tools! They are like new toys! Aren't they? Well, good luck with the new stuff. Any word on school yet?

[Gaffanon]

Hey that is amaizing were you at the or your work at the Pirate Gathering last weekend.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you so much, I want to do about four more of this size ! What pirate gathering? I am in Orlando Fla.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you so much ! No I am really not in the loop. I hide in my hole most of the time. What was happenning there?

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you so much! I loved doing it! It kept my mind off a lot of other things going on around me for a long time.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks for asking to see more wip's on this piece. Here they are!
Theses are of the pedestal that the Seahorse sits on. Questions and crits always welcome.

[SavageGoldfish]

Seeing it put together from those solid pieces of wood to the finished product really shows how much work went into this. And how much patience, and prior planning, too! Not something I'm really good at--that's why I like clay, if it's not looking right you can just sort of mush another piece on, but you can't really do that with wood.
I just gained new appreciation for this sculpture.

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi, thank you. The wip's do show all the pre-work to the sculpture. Unfortunately, it's not feasible to have a giant chunk of wood, so you have to build it up to the point you need it to be, which does take some fore thought.It's mostly just tedium from stacking and glueing, waiting 24 hours for the glue to dry, and build again,more clamping and glueing.
Once you do it a few times, it's pretty simple. But, yes, clay is much more forgiving. I am glad that you now have a deeper understanding of what I do.
Thank you! By the way love your newest sculpt! I going to post a comment right now!

[SavageGoldfish]

Ah, the tedious prep work...my least favourite part of a project!

[Mah ' Crub]

It' true, what I really carefor the least is all the many steps of sanding the entire piece with about 5 different grits of abrasion. But that being said, you get to see a preview of what the beautiful grain patterns are doing as you polish it with finer and finer grits. I could even take it a step further and sandblast it with ground up walnut shells and buff it to an even higher gloss.
Nah!!!!
Just lay on the laquer good and thick !
Really the truth is I like working in a large formatte, and the wood with all its troubles, and disadvantages, allow me to make large works. It's really fun!
And nothing smells better than wood that's just been run through the planer.
It's really just making a thick armiture, { using wood }. I can't wait to start my next one, but I'am busy adding a room to my warehouse.
Mah ' Crub

[GoGoJojo]

I've grown up around the smell of varnish, so it's really nostolgic to me. Maybe that's why I'm funny in the head?

[Mah ' Crub]

ME TOO!!! I am like, what? wear a mask, and miss this? I get toasty on the laquer. But really you should wear one of those, , , hey, don't you think that smells bring back memories more than anything else? I get really strong flashbacks of memory when I smell certain things. May be it's just me. But the smell of wood chips reminds me of a childhood memory when my father took me to a wood mill, called "Richmond Ceder Works Mill," Huge machines running around picking up loads of wood and slaming it down in deafening heaps. There were mountains of wood chips that you could smell for miles.
Childhood,

[SavageGoldfish]

I've always LOVED the smell of wood and sawdust.

[Mah ' Crub]

Oh yes ! and another one is hay, I grew up on a farm in virginia, very south east, on the banks of the Dismal Swamp. We grew our own hay and cut it, and raked it, and threw it up into the hay loft, and then we kids would play in it every day, and listening to the rain on the tin roof while sleeping in the sweet smelling hay was , well you can guess the rest.

[GoGoJojo]

Are those wooden clamps home made?! And what's the largest chisel you've used?
[edit] Forgot to say, Oregon is like the capital of forestry and woodmills, at least as far as I know, so I definately know what you're talking about.

[Mah ' Crub]

Those wooden clamps are store bought, they are called, " Jorgensons' " the largest chisel I used is about an inch wide.
Yes, you do come from the land of large lumber. I hear its' pretty out there, do you like it?

[GoGoJojo]

Love it. With my sensitive blue eyes, a cloudy day is a god send. May I show you our largest chisel. It was used to make log cabins. I can post it in a message to your profile since this is your thread.

[Mah ' Crub]

Yes, please do, nothing better than a big ass chisel. I know what you mean about cloudy days, I love them too. I also have blue eyes. Must be a trait.

[GoGoJojo]

I measured it and it's 4 inches across! Definately would need a 2 handed hammer. By the way, my sister says she likes your shirt in that picture.

[VulgarDragon]

Mmmm....I love the smell of sawdust too, however, I am allergic to hay. Seeing those pictures, I can't imagine how much work and time you put into each of your wonderful pieces. I've tried a bit of wood working but never quite got the hang of it, so I stick to building furnitures.

[Mah ' Crub]

Gogojojo, You were right, that is one big ass chisel !!! Thanks for the pic!
Tell your sister thanks, for saying she liked my shirt. The face is a photo of one of my marionettes. I will post some pic's of them someday.His name is " Scarymouche," an old Italian Clown. I of course, had to make mine dark and scary. I liked the photo so much that I put it on the front of my gallery t-shirts, with the business name on the back. The gallery is gone now, but I still have some of the shirts, so I wear them to work in.
Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

Hey, Mad Cross, thanks so much. You don't know how much praise from all of you guys mean to me. You all have been so complimentary, and you are all so good ! If you can build furniture then you could work in wood like me. It's just a pain in the ass in the beginning, and oddly enough, that part is gratifying as well. I have been looking at your thread and it is wonderful. The bipedal triceratops blew me away, and the owl,,, I love owls, , , helped save a baby owl once and ever since I really love those birds. Yours is killer.
Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

Here are a bunch more wips of the process of building the bow of the ship that the figurehead is mounted to. I wanted the ship to look like it had been sunken for a hundred and fifty years or so, and the bow and figurehead had then broken off and risen to the surface to crest the waves once again. Kind of a "Phoenix," kind of thing. Here is how I did it.
First pic is the "laying of the keel, so to speak.
Then bow braces and then the bow top.

[Nightblue]

Thanks a lot for posting the wip's. This is a beautiful sculpture, and it's eye-opening to see how you managed to make a wooden sculpture this size.

[Mah ' Crub]

This is the hull's bow with most of the planking done. Next is the decorative planking at the top of the bow.

[Mah ' Crub]

This is a bow shot with the planking finished. Then the fore deck.

[Mah ' Crub]

This is the hull's bow with most of the planking done. Next is the decorative planking at the top of the bow.

[Mah ' Crub]

More prep work, putty and sand, putty and sand, etc....

[Mah ' Crub]

Nightblue, thank you so much. Yes, it's quite a process. But I secretly love every second of the tedium as I curse it's slowness. It has taught me patience.
I have a lot more wips to post, so I am glad to hear that you actually enjoy seeing them. I sometimes feel guilty posting more,,, feels kind'a like "beating a dead horse," but someone always thanks me for them and that does make me happy. Thanks again, and questions and crits are always welcome.
Mah ' Crub

[FRAYLETOK]

holly....sshh....¡¡¡¡¡ just amazing ¡¡¡¡¡

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks!!!! Great, now I have to buy you a beer! Anyway, glad you liked the new wips, I will post a few more of the building process in a few days. I am working on building some "Bamboo," table top fountains. It's a new product for me. I have to do something, no work for me here lately, I am getting tired of eating rats.
Thanks again buddy!
Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

Here's another round of wips for "War Horse," hope you guys aren't sick of them by now.
Anyway,,,

Primed hull, inside and out, white oil based primer

[Mah ' Crub]

Burnt umber glaze applied with brush and then wood grained with grainer. Then the first of the many washes.

[troyboy]

Wow! That's absolutely amazing! Incredible artistry in this piece.

[Mah ' Crub]

Sorry, something went haywire with upload.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you sir, I really appreciate that. I am trying to up load photos but can't seem to get it to work right now, I'll try again later.

Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

This is the first graining process done in the burnt umber over the white primer.
I then started a white wash to begin the "bleached out" look.

[Mah ' Crub]

Next came a series of darker washes along with a few grey washes when I felt I had gone too far one way or the other. These are actually called glazes and are thick and gooy. I add the pigment to color it to suit me and then put on and wipe it off. That's the important part, the wiping off. Too much , too little.
I then added a green glaze to give that mosy look.

[SavageGoldfish]

Nice! I'm enjoying those paint WIP photos.

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi, glad to hear you like to see them. { Kinda' feel like I am beating a dead horse, so to speak.} The painting was a multi layered thing, because it had to look not only like a wooden ship, but one that had been sunken for a couple of hundred years. It became one of those, paint it until you're happy with it kind of things.
Thanks.

Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

I wouldn't say you're beating a dead horse, this was such a huge project with so many different things going into it that there's plenty to show as far as WIPs. What kind of paint/stain did you use to paint it?

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Jiangzue, I am happy to hear that you like them.
The paints you asked about are really glazes,,, latex, made from glazing medium and adding universal tints. So I kind of make my own paint, so to speak. I like the glazes because they are so malleable. They can be opaque to transparent, depending on how much you take off and put on. They can make a subtile statement, and are very workable and forgiving.Also, a little goes a long, long way.

Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

That's cool, I imagine making your own paints gives you a lot of flexibility in what kinds of colours you can get.

[Mah ' Crub]

It does give me a lot of flexability colorwise. The only draw back is if I don't mix up enough, its kind'a hard to match unless you keep a formula. That has come back to haunt me a few times.
Thanks again!

Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

Oh boy, tell me about that one. Whenever I mix paint for things, so often I will run out and then sit there kicking myself trying to match the colours again. I don't really "measure" my paint, I just kind of pick up the paint tubes, squirt blobs onto a palette, and mush them around until I get a colour I like.

But I say, a lot of making art has to do with being able to cover up your mistakes!

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Jiangzu ! Yeah, I agree, some of my best work was the result of a mistake. Kinda' ironic ain't it ? Accidental artistry!!!! That's me !!!

Mah ' Crub

[Deon]

Ridiculously awesome craftsmanship there, Mah ' Crub!
I wish I could work on big project like that!

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Deon, the building of the ships bow caused me to expand my woodworking knowledge a bit, { translation; I think I scratched a bald spot on my head trying to figure it out. } Lots of compound hips and valleys.
But it was the sculpting of the seahorse/ unicorn and the waves of the sea that I enjoyed the most. It was a long haul though, but now I can start on the next one. I think it's going to be a mermaid blowing into a conch shell.

Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi guys and gals, wish me luck please, as I am showing this big piece this Thursday nignt at the First Thursdays Art show at the Orlando museum of Art.
This will be the first time I have shown this one to the public.There will be aprox. 50 or so artists showing at the same time. Lots of wine and beer, who knows...

Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

Awesome!!! Good luck, knock 'em dead! ;D

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Jiangzu, I did !
It was a hell of a lot of work for a 3 hour show but it was worth it. I got so many nice and supportive comments, but I was told that I was wasting my time in Orlando, and that I need to show this piece in New York, or Paris.
Would that I could. Still it was a great night.

Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

Ha, seems like that's everyone's recommendation on art! The ones I hear most often are New York and Los Angeles, two places I would rather have nothing to do with. I'd hate to imagine what kind of an ordeal even attempting to move around something that huge would be.

[dogfacedboy_uk1]

Oh wow, this is totally amazing. Its certainly a fantastic a tribute as anyone could wish for. Some interesting photos as well, i always enjoy seeing the build up, especially on unusual and unique projects like this. I recently missed out on an opportunity to watch an artist carving a masthead mermaid figure from a big block of wood at the London boat show, we were pushed for time unfortunately so that was diappointng.

dfb

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Jiangzu. I had a three truck caravan and a crew of four, whom without, it would not have been pulled off. I owe them all big time! But damn, it felt good! I was completly honored by the responce I recieved. There were some really older veterans there who said it moved them deeply. So I felt truly validated, somehow. I guess that is what we set out to do but when it happens it has some strangness.

Dogfacedboy, thank you so much for your kind words. I did the same thing at my art gallery, I carved on it every weekend in the front bay window and it really did bring in the lookers. Cheap bastards never bought anything though. I am sorry you missed that event. You would most likly have enjoyed it.

Mah ' Crub

[Terra]

Man, awesome work!!!
impressive details, like a real boat...
congrats!

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Terra, yeah it is like a real boat, kind'a sort'a. Glad you liked it. I want to do four more of the same sort of concept.

Mah ' Crub

[aadi]

i have no words to say all work are amazing how did you manage you did alone or working with some one my friend i respect you truly artist . if i have more money i sculpt a big like your sculpt but soon i am going to find job as soon i will be going to plane a big robot becouse of i am insepired by your work best of luck form my side , take cr

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you so much for your kind words. You honor me. I wish you luck on finding a job. I too am without work, except I do some teaching to almost pay the bills. But I don't care, I don't need money to love life. I find ways.
Good luck to you, and keep working with a smile.

Mah ' Crub

[TheCosmicKid]

Great job on this! I liked seeing the WIP pictures, always nice to see how things progress from one stage to another.

[Pavel Sokov]

That is absolutely amazing.
It blows my face off to think that you carved those waves out of wood!
Now get this piece to a gallery!

[Mah ' Crub]

Cosmickid Thank you, and I am glad you like the wips. I also like to see the sequential progress of things. Thank you.

Pavel Thank you so much, but you will need your face. It is funny that people always mention the waves, and they were secondary to the seahorse, but that is the beauty of art, you never know where people will be looking!
Thank you very much, I would love to put this in a good galllery who would sell it for me. I want to start the next one.

Mah ' Crub

[rifyraina]

It's look very different and i can say just Amazing because i have never seen before like this, Sea horses is still alive or not???? but overall its cool.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thank you very much, I am glad you liked it, and yes, Seahorses are still alive, but none this big, and none with a unicorn horn. Lots of fun!
Thanks for taking the time to comment on my art.

Mah ' Crub

[aadi]

hi friend is that your production house ? and you were working alone to made this war horse ?

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi aadi, yes, that is my shop. 33 years now, it was once a hustle and bustle workplace with machines running lots of work being done, but thanks to the wonderful and brilliant establishment who was on duty when the depression came it is now a ghost town.
Yes, I worked on this piece all alone for three years. I hope to make more, but...

Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

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Crits and Questions are always welcome as well as any comments. I hope you enjoy these new pics.

Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

These are pics from the Orlando Museum of Art's "First Thursdays Art Show"
It was a lot of fun.

Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

Looks killer in a gallery environment--definitely a show stealer!

[Mah ' Crub]

HI, Yeah, the theme of the show was "Go Large," well I had that one covered hands down.
Thanks for commenting.

Mah ' Crub

[lobster007]

Amazing - you have choosed a very beautiful animal. It is very nice and detailed work. Also the arrangement is very interesting...

http://www.3d.sk/?ref=c21

[Mah ' Crub]

Lobster007. Thanks so much. I have always loved the little, sad-eyed sea horses. They are incredible creatures. Did you know that the males carry the babies in a little pocket. I decided that since we have horses on land, as well as unicorns... Why not a sea-unicorn? The unicorn horn symbolizes the war and battles that my father endured during the war.
I pitched this piece to the "Sea World" park here in Orlando, but they told me that since my sea horse had a horn sticking out of his brow, he was anatomically incorrect.... so they turned me down.
Not much imagination, but a dogged adherence to reality. They don't do whimsy.

Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

I pitched this piece to the "Sea World" park here in Orlando, but they told me that since my sea horse had a horn sticking out of his brow, he was anatomically incorrect.... so they turned me down.
Not much imagination, but a dogged adherence to reality. They don't do whimsy.

Mah ' Crub

Are you serious? That's rediculous!

[MikeMakesModels]

Ditto... what!

(Agreed - it looks great in the gallery. I hope you find him a good home :) )

[Mah ' Crub]

Jaingzu, Yeah, its the truth. I was sure they would want it... but no.

Dunefish, Thanks for the support buddy, its ok, I will connect with the right art lover/buyer out there somehow. I won't give up until they slap me in the face with a shovel.

Thanks all for the many kind and supportive comments on this thread.

Mah ' Crub

[Waipunga]

That just looks excellent Mah!

Kudos to you Dude. Reminds me of a passage from the book "Shackleton's Captain" where Frank Worsley described a beach in the South Georgia islands where he saw the storm tossed timber remains of hundreds of ships including figureheads. Must have been a very sobering sight. Very well done Mate.

[Mah ' Crub]

Waipunga, Thanks buddy, it sure was a lot of fun. Can't wait to start the next one. It will be a mermaid blowing into a conch shell horn.
A grave yard for wrecked ships... wow... that has possibilities.
Thanks again. Hey, I checked out your website.... cool stuff. Its funny you make swords, and I teach people how to wield them. Small world.

Mah ' Crub

[GoGoJojo]

Wow, congratulations!!! Soooo neat, Mah ' Crub!!! Although right now it reminds me of my dad's mast that broke in half:S And I for one LIKE sea-corns:D

[Mah ' Crub]

Gogojojo, Thanks, it felt pretty cool to be the center of attention. There were about five or six hundred people there that night.
Sorry to hear about your fathers mast. { Dang... must have been some high wind to break a mast in two.}
Sea-corn? You know, I tried that name too, but to me it just sounded like a foot condition that sailors get. LOL
Thanks for commenting.

Mah ' Crub

[Deon]

Jeesh, Mah'Crub - I love that sea horse of yours - Sea World is just being silly! That sculpture would fit in perfectly at out local Ushaka marine world!

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks Deon, glad you liked it. I have to try to market somehow. I think I may need an agent, but don't have the foggiest of how to obtain one.

Mah ' Crub

[TheCosmicKid]

Looks great in that Gallery setting! No doubt it will find a good home somewhere.

[Mah ' Crub]

Cosmickid, Thanks, I am ever hopeful. I think I need a salesman.

Mah ' Crub

[6thSun]

Amazing!!!!!!!!!! ,Epic!!! wow!

[Mah ' Crub]

SixthSun, Thank you so much. It was a very big project, but I loved every moment of it.

Mah ' Crub

[TeaMonster]

Hi Mah'Crub,

It was very enjoyable looking throught this thread, soory it took me so long!
What an outstanding achievement for you, the WIPs really helped me apreciate what a huge undertaking this must have been.

After putting so much into it, it seems a shame for you to part with it.
Sea world (or similar) would be the ideal place for it, and then you could go visit it :)
I would argue to Seaworld that the ocean is still not 100% explored so how do they know there isn't a horned sea horse eh?
The horn wouldn't be a health and safety issue either if it was on a mount so it cleared tall head height.

I wish you every success in finding this striking piece a worthy home.
Thanks for sharing and inspiring.

[Mah ' Crub]

Tea Monster, Thank you kind lady. Alas, it sits in the back of my wharehouse covered in old blankets, hidden from the world.{ just like me} It does seem a shame, but I don't really know how to go about selling it. I think I need a sales rep.
Thank you for your kind words. Have a cup on me.

Mah ' Crub

[limion]

wow, this is something else. Amazing an huge project. I wouldn't know where to begin. This sure does make me want to try it myself 3+))

[Mah ' Crub]

Limion, Thanks buddy, I was hoping you would want to do something like this yourself. It doesn't have to be this big of course, but wood is wonderful medium, you just have to plan out all of the humps and bumps where you want stuff to be and glue it up, then break out the chisels and sand paper.

Mah ' Crub

[subamerika]

Wow man, your work is amazing! incredible pieces o(@.@)o

[Mah ' Crub]

Subamirka, Thanks a million man. I love every tedious moment of the work, I truly lose myself in it,{ sometimes maybe a little to much, like when you go to the rest room and see yourself in the mirror with a beard... too much}. Thanks for your kind words.

Mah ' Crub

[thatsmyboyblue]

Mah ,

Sorry about Sea World not working out, but have you thought of contacting Weeki Wachee http://www.weekiwachee.com/over in Spring Hill ? They do Mermaids so fantasy is right up their alley er....fin which ever. Plus it is a state park... Also, they may purchase local art as a part of their charter. might be worth checking into it...

[Mah ' Crub]

ThatsmyboyBlue, Thanks buddy, that's good advise, I will look into that. It would be good if they wanted it since they are not too far away.
Thanks again.

Mah ' Crub

[Pavel Sokov]

Wow, congratulations on getting it displayed!
You must of been nervous as shit when it was getting moved around.
I know for myself whenever anyone touches my tiny sculptures my heart kinda sinks

[Mah ' Crub]

Pavel, Thanks buddy, yes it was a big day filled with many pressures and stress, also many rewards, so it was really worth it.
Thanks again.

Mah ' Crub

[sinnersaint007]

what a beautiful peice of work, my goodness its awesome. i have always loved woodwork.

[Mah ' Crub]

Sinnersaint007, Thank you very much, it was a huge project, but I loved every minute of it. Yes, there is just a certain something about wood that I don't get from clay.....but then again, I always shed a tear for the trees.
Thanks again.

Mah ' Crub

[fruitdot]

Wow, all I can say is... WOW!! :D

[Mah ' Crub]

fruitdot,Thank you.... wow is good...wow is nice....and it spells the samething forwards and backwards... so you can invert it if need be...just in case you want to mix it up.
Thanks for looking at my thread and taking the time to comment, { I have a bunch of them,} that was nice. Let's see more of you soon.

Mah ' Crub

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi folks, just had a meeting with an agent who wants to represent me as my solicitor in selling the War Horse....wish me luck...

[JoshS]

Congrats. Hopefully they can help you find a buyer. It would look cool in a nautical themed pub or restaurant, if such a place exists.

[Mah ' Crub]

Thanks joshS...yes, I am hoping for a hotel or Casino or something of that sort....it really needs a large room....I can only hope for the best.
Thanks for commenting, and I hope you enjoyed the pics.



Mah ' Crub

[SavageGoldfish]

Awesome! Good luck, I hope it finds a good home!

[Mah ' Crub]

SavageGoldfish...thanks so much sweetie...you have always been a great supporter.....thanks so much for that...



Mah ' Crub

[Gallery29Bronze]

xxxxx

[Mah ' Crub]

Gallery29Bronze thank you so much for your kind comment, and sorry for the acronym....yes, I should have just said " The Orlando Museum of Art".
I am glad you like my art, and I am an old guy too.


Mah ' Crub

[Gallery29Bronze]

xxxxx

[Mah ' Crub]

Gallery29Bronze Thanks so much....yeah, it's taken me a lifetime to accuire all these tools, and now,{ due to the economy,} I have very little use for them, but I am still holding on in spite of it all....kinda like a snapping turtle
LOL...I also get the feeling that most of the members here are pretty young....poor kids....things aren't going to be easy for them.


Mah ' Crub

[docdee]

when it comes to dimensions you seem to dwell in an entirely different one! this is perhaps one of the largest sculptures in the forum. great job!

[philofmars]

LOL...I also get the feeling that most of the members here are pretty young....poor kids....things aren't going to be easy for them.
Mah ' Crub

That's why we dinosaurs have to help em along with our vast knowledge...hee hee, yeah right.

Love the sculpture. But am jealous of your workspace. :) I am a woodworker too, and I can tell that thing was a job and a half!
I hope you can find a buyer. Maybe try some legions or VFWs. It will be tough to let it go!

[Mah ' Crub]

Philofmars Yes, you are right, and I feel like dino sometimes...Thanks for the shop comment, yeah, I love my shop...just wish it were bigger sometimes...Glad you liked the sculpt...thanks.


Mah ' Crub