Maori Tekoteko wood carving

"though Europeans might guess that carvings represented gods, they had almost no idea who Maori gods were.  Nor did they realize that local ancestors, rather than gods, were often the most consequential figures...in all likelyhood they were the ones embodied in the houses...ingeniously carved."

exerpt from Cook: The extraordinary Voyages of Captain James Cook - Nicholas Thomas




Maori Tekoteko carving as a protector to ward off evil.

Keeper of the Oral Tradition

"He poked the coals with a stick to keep them from going out. The old man sat thinking. He lived for ancient times and was firmly fettered to them. He worshiped his forefathers and their deeds in an unbroken line back to the time of the gods. And he looked forward to being reunited with them. Old Tei Tetua was the sole survivor of all the extinct tribes on the east coast of Fatu Hiva. How old he was he did not know, but his wrinkled, bark-brown, leathery skin looked as if it had been dried in sun and wind for a hundred years. He was one of the few on these islands that still remembered and believed in his father's and his grandfather's legendary stories of the great Polynesian chief-god Tiki, son of the sun".     -  Exerpt from the book KON TIKI.

I call this carving Tetahi Ma'te.  He is the keeper of the oral tradition.

The Remote Beaches of Padre Island

“We need the tonic of wildness... that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”   -

Henry David Thoreau

Kon-tiki: the band

Here is a digital painting of that wigged-out jazz combo, the Kon-tikis. These paintings are just something creative I do to pass time when it's uncomfortable outdoors.

Marquesas Island Tiki

Here is my carving inspired by the art of Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands.

Tekoteko

Here is my carving inspired by the Moari culture of New Zealand.

South Padre Island as a resort beach

As a resort, many consider SPI the premier beach in Texas.

Island cuisine

I would like to amend the previous post to include a couple of plugs. During my stay in Port Aransas, two restaurants stood out above the others. If you are in a hurry or see value in large portions, you should probably go elsewhere. I am by no means a gourmet, but the seafood at these two restaurants was the best I’ve had. Shell's Restaurant and The Pelican Club both offer superbly flavored foods. On another food note, here is another website you may find interesting. I have never sampled the preparations of Professor G. but I find his website to be both entertaining an appetizing. I am certain his culinary creations are as artfully done as his website. Please follow this link to visit Professor G 

Port Aransas May 2012

The 25 knot winds made things challenging but I managed to get a few photos.

Marquesas Island Tiki

New Guinea style mask

Inspired by the art of Papua New Guinea.

Hawaiian Ku #2. approx. 20 inches