Drum Tiki Hand Crafted Carvings
Creation ~ Style ~ Pricing ~ Care ~ Photos
Welcome to the Drum Tiki workshop. This is the jungle of wood, chisels, mallets, chips, sawdust, torching, painting and staining where Cameron creates tiki-style art.
JANUARY 2023 CARVING UPDATE
Aloha Amigos,
After all the challenges of last year - left arm injury, surgery and rehabilitation; high speed car crash, truck totaled; loss of a dear family member - I am delighted to report, everything is improving. My arm is recovered, I’m back to full time drumming events throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, carving constantly and have replaced the truck. Life thunders on.
In homage to all the difficulties of the previous eight months, carved a piece to express the intensity of it all. Catharsis complete. Serpentiki lives! (See photo above.) Also created my first Chumash shield featuring a condor, the traditional symbol of the cycle of life. (See photo below). All carvings this year are custom requests. Please email if interested.
aloha(at)drumtiki(dot)com
Wishing us all health and happiness throughout 2023..!
Creation
The Drum Tiki aesthetic goal is the mid-century tiki pop look of tropical treasure washed up on the beach. All the wood used is either a sustainable variety of lumber or driftwood collected from the beaches of California. Each carving begins as a spark of imagination and materializes as a drawing upon wood. Custom creations are a collaboration of ideas. The carving process will follow the drawing exactly, so the drawing is the creation of the piece.
Once the board/s are glued and cut to length, carving is done entirely by hand with chisels, mallets, gouges and rasps. This is the magical transformation from two dimensions to three, as each shape is transformed from flat lines into planes, curves, corners and cul-de-sacs. Although the lines on the surface are predictable, the intersections of the cuts and angles within the wood are always uniquely challenging, as the interior reveals its grain patterns, density variations, sap, splits and knots.
Each piece is then carefully sanded from shabby to chic. Some of the nicks and gouges of the chisels will be left in the design in tiki-esque testimony to its handmade origins, but most surfaces are sanded smooth to showcase the beauty of the wood grain. Then each piece is lovingly roasted end to end with a hand held torch. The heat from the torch causes the sap to bubble out of the wood and sears the flowing lines of the grain into fantastically beautiful patterns.
Once the piece has been thoroughly carved, sanded and roasted, it's ready for paint, or sealed with stain to preserve the natural colors of the wood.
The final steps in the creation process are a Drum Tiki logo and a wall-hanging bracket, and then a photo shoot at the beach. Ta-da!
Style
Everything made in the Drum Tiki workshop embodies the tiki vibe of sunshine, aloha and togetherness. The Polynesian pop art style of tiki transports our imaginations into the colorful, happy world of sunny beaches, relaxed smiles, and palm fronds swaying in the breeze.
On a quest for something special for your tiki bar or business or an amazing gift for someone special? Our favorite projects are custom creations. Inquiries welcome.
New variations are always in the works and we share photos of everything we make on our Instagram page @drumtiki
Pricing
Each piece is uniquely priced by the amount of time needed and the materials it's made from. Everything is lovingly hand crafted in the pursuit of the highest quality possible. Most custom pieces are $200 - 500. Larger pieces and custom signs available by request. Shipping and handling fees may apply.
Please send your questions, ideas and requests via "coconut telegraph" (email).
Love to make something truly magical for your special spot.
Care
For the longest lasting, brightest tropical colors possible, we recommend keeping your Drum Tiki carving out of direct sunlight and protected from the weather. The clear coat we apply has UV protection, but your art piece will retain its colorful character best if kept indoors.
Every Drum Tiki carving is guaranteed for an entire year from the date of purchase. If it cracks, splits, or develops any other problems because of the way we made it, we’ll fix it or make you a new one, free of charge.
Photos
Once your Drum Tiki carving has found its place in your home, tiki bar, or office, please send us a photo. We love collecting photos of happy people with happy art. (It also provides a time stamp for your guarantee.) We love photos that include your family, friends, pets, plants or whatever brings you joy.
Happy Tiki, happy life!
