Olive - carving for carving's sake

[MelaQuin]

I was given this olive base with about 5 shoots on it. I took it out of the large pot it was in, jammed it in the smaller plastic pot and started to carve. The tree had few charms that I could see, basically very awkward and, even worse, HEAVY. So on the assumption that it could not get worse I started Dremelling... and Dremelling and Dremelling. Now, several months and many many hours later... and still more to go refining, it's getting there and I am starting to see the promise in it. It needs months for the carving to weather and get the aged look and it won't be everyone's cup of tea... but it kept me off the streets for an incredible amount of hours, consistently buggered my back and neck and I'm still working on it.
The base is 11 cm wide and 24 cm to the top of the wood. It will be short and squat with close in foliage.

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I stress, this isn't done yet. There is a lot of refining to do to soften the work. Every hole and cavity is linked to one or more of the others and water will run in and around and down like a kid's game and come out the bottom. I have been strict in keeping drainage paths always on a downward slant. Before I finish I will probably create more cavities and more openings. This is what one can do - just for the hell of it. The sad part is that it really does not appear to have made the tree any lighter. Also, it is far FAR better/nicer in reality than via photos. And I'm going to be selling it anytime soon as I don't need a tree this stout to muck up my spine even more.

[Jamie]

hey mel,

i am impressed, it seems you have really gone at it hard, i would love to see the finished carving but you say you are selling soon, i can understand that it stuffs with ya back, i have back probs too.

it seems very intricately random in what you are doing. did you have a plan to this one? or just went hard into it and just kept going?
i look forward to your vision. i think i know where you are going with a final silhouette anyways

jamie

[MelaQuin]

I let the tree talk to me. I started in three obvious places [neck cut, back cut and a depression on the trunk. Then to reach and extend what I was doing I had to go in from other areas and it just went on and on and on. Talk about being a glutton for punishment. If I had longer bits I could do better and make it a honeycombed interior... but I just kept playing the game and the tree just kept responding.

I have left all the branchlets on for the moment as they tell me what is alive around the areas I am working on. When I finish I will leave the tree for a week or more to see what is happening to the greenery and then remove what I don't want and wire the branches I do want. Nicely it has thrown out branches where one would want branches. At this stage there are two possible fronts and I will be wiring to cover those two possibilities. The eventual owner can make the final decision.

But if you want to get stuck into carving this is the sort of material that you can let your hair down and go for it.

[Watto]

Mel - excuse my ignorance, but is that an African Olive?

[Chris]

Excellent work I love the idea of running water. as Jamie stated i will be watching to see how it turns out.

[anttal63]

lookin good ! i hope you dont get any die back this time of the year lee.

[MelaQuin]

It keeps throwing branches from new spots... I don't think dieback will be a problem. The only branch that I am really conserving is the apical one but the tree is vibrant with health and branches thickening fast.

[bodhidharma]

Nice work Mel. I appreciate the work being done and bet that it has taken hours and hours. I love carving myself and all it is, is practise, practise, practise. Should be thinking of keeping it though unless you need to make a living

[MelaQuin]

It's a bonsai this size or my back... I prefer to keep my back. Just got a buyer for the ash and that was a wrench getting rid of it as I have really bonded since the restyling. But by the time it is ready for a bonsai pot next year and a pot of sufficient size for it [and a pot this olive] I will be pushing things to move it. Not worth it when I can find lighter, smaller trees and keep doing this wonderful art.