Today is a monumental day for me. I’ll begin the carving process in earnest on this block of orange honeycomb calcite. This private commission marks my largest undertaking so far. Feel free to drop any questions, and look out for progress updates. Time to get dusty!

For anyone curious.. this block is now around 800 lbs. maybe a bit less. We used a forklift to get it into my car, then I used an engine hoist to lift it up and out of the car. Then wheeled the hoist+stone into the studio where I positioned the block over a hydraulic cart before carefully lowering it. Then lifted the block again to reorient it vertically. Working with larger blocks necessarily magnifies every aspect of the process. More stone to remove. More equipment to move the stone if I want to reorient it while carving. And this block is *only* 800 ish lbs. This is about the limit of what I can handle with my current studio setup. Any bigger and I would need a more heavy duty setup and/or to work out of a bigger studio. One day… View quoted note →

Made it to my studio. Soon I’ll set the angel free. ⚒️🧡₿

⏳Less than 2 hours left to bid!⏳ Up for grabs are a 1/1 cold cast marble reproduction of “Awakening” and two hand-lettered inscriptions in reclaimed slate with gold and copper leaf. 🔗

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Less than 4 hours to go! View quoted note →

💥Now is your chance to add to your Strategic Bitcoin Art Reserve.💥 Less than 24 hours remaining on these NO RESERVE auctions.⏳ Acquire a unique piece for your home, office, or business. 🔗

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Working in stone is a slow process so my output is limited and I don’t tend to offer many reproductions.. So if you’ve ever wanted to collect one of my pieces, now is your chance. These three works are up for auction TODAY with NO RESERVE. Please consider sharing this post to spread awareness.🤝

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‼️AUCTION ALERT‼️ Three of my artworks are now viewable on Scarce City! Auctions start TOMORROW so set a reminder. Two different hand lettered inscriptions and a 1/1 cold cast marble reproduction of “Awakening” with LED illumination. Please share this post for awareness and check out the listings here:

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Progress on Hal continues. ⚒️🏃🏻‍♂️ I’ve started opening up the mouth and I’m continuing to adjust the perspective of the various facial features. Need to rework the area of the left cheek where it meets the neck, then move on to the eyes, and the nose still isn’t right yet. The work is slow, but it’s coming together..

Bitcoin not crypto.

Took a little break to split some stone.. These are probably destined to become paperweights when I have time to work on them. Shoot me a DM if you’re interested. Carrara marble. Will likely carve HODL or just the ₿ symbol in them.

Progress on Hal continues. ⚒️🏃🏻‍♂️ Mostly using chisels and diamond files at this point. Slate is a relatively soft stone and it comes away easily. Sometimes too easily… Currently I’m working to define the cheeks, the chin, and the neck area. I’m not sure if this is how other sculptors work, but for me, it’s hard to carve one area by itself. When carving something anatomical, you can’t avoid the fact that every part exists in relation to the others. You have to embrace that, and work on everything at once. You do have to define the depth of the high points, like the nose and the chin, but I can’t carve just the nose in a vacuum. Everything will progress slowly and gradually, then suddenly, it will all come together in the end.

Sculpting a monumental 1000lb block of orange calcite for a special commission.. A reminder: patronage is the lifeblood of art. It drives innovation, opens doors for creators, and pushes us beyond the ordinary. Please support artists in any way you can. It's not just vital for us, but for enriching our world.

So I’m about to start a large commission. Big ol’ Bitcoin ₿ in orange honeycomb calcite. Going to be my largest sculpture to date, about 2 1/2 feet tall. Stay tuned… ⚒️

Still a ways to go, but the finish line is in sight, if still distant.. ⚒️🏃🏻‍♂️ Currently working on the face. The nose is still rough but good enough for me to start defining the rest of the face. Did I mention I hate carving noses? Turns out the only thing worse than carving a nose is carving one in relief, when you have to take perspective into account. But good learning experience. I’m working hard to get this done in time for the 4th Annual Running Bitcoin Challenge charity art auction. Hopefully I make it in time.

Today’s goal is to finish the nose and begin defining the eyes and mouth. I always find noses the hardest, and when sculpting a face, you have to do the nose first. It protrudes the furthest out from the face, so once you get it right, everything else follows naturally.⚒️🏃🏻‍♂️

And now, the hard part… ⚒️🏃🏻‍♂️

Happy Proof of Keys Day!🔑 Bitcoin is empowering, but you you have to grasp that freedom and responsibility with your own two hands. Use today to get those sats off exchanges, and TAKE CUSTODY. Not your keys, not your coins!

Today is Toshi Puppamoto’s 4th birthday! Please wish him happy birthday.🎉 And maybe buy some Bitcoin art so I can buy him more treats and toys. Any art sales today (most days really) will go towards the Toshi Treats & Toys Fund.

Progress update ⚒️🏃🏻‍♂️ Still working on the right arm and right hand but I jumped around a little and started fixing other areas like the left side where the shirt meets shorts. The curvature wasn’t quite right before. As I’ve said before, this is very much a learning process for me. I try to keep challenging myself and this carving is no different. The cool thing for me to see is the improvement of my understanding of relief carving just within the scope of this single project. The legs for example- they’re not done. I knew I wanted to go back and re carve them but now I have a much better sense of what I need to do after having worked on other parts. Relief is an interesting challenge. I still think I prefer carving in the round (think free standing sculpture), but I’m glad I’m learning how to do this. Stay tuned for more updates… I’m off to bed. Back at it tomorrow.