For The Sheer Love Of It All

Over the years here in Lahaina, our baker, Harold Hardcastle, has often donated time, money, and baked goods to many
worthy causes and charities. On some of those occasions Harold commissioned me to carve whales or dolphins out of pounds of
chocolate he'd cast into blocks. These were displayed or auctioned at the various functions. So when Harold asked me to make a
trophy for the winner of the MISS MAUI USA 1999 PAGEANT, I happily obliged.

Since there was not much time before the pageant, I decided I'd do something stylized rather than realistic; something simply
curvaceously feminine. I came up with the shape below and laid it out on a hunk of two inch thick purpleheart hardwood. Just
before bandsawing the perimeter I decided to change it slightly by adding a skirt of sorts and reduced the exaggerated hip. At that
point, with these modifications to my simple sketch, I cut into the wood and then began carving. As the piece progressed, I
repeatedly had to stop myself from modifying my original plans. I could afford to put only so much work into it. Other
commitments vied for my time and the pageant deadline was fast approaching.

Passion Takes Over

Like the old cliché, I saw her in there, something more than I had bargained for, beaconing me to let her out. It occurred to me
that if I made a limited edition bronze from the hardwood original, I could economically justify putting more work into the
project. After talking with Harold, it was agreed that after the pageant I could have the piece back for a short time, during which I
would make a mold from the original. Shortly thereafter I carried Miss Maui to California where I was already casting Mystery. It
took about seven days to complete the mold, most of which was dry time for the multiple layers of latex molding material. Finally
two waxes were made, and after touch-up, two pieces were cast in bronze: an artist proof, and piece numbered One. Both were a
dark coffee or chocolate patina and resemble very old style bronze works. Number One was purchased by my host in California,
my good friend from high school days. The A/P returned to Hawaii with me and remains in my permanent collection..

A month later I returned to the foundry to cast Mitosis, another design from my Geometry Of Form Series. Several days were
spent experimenting with patinas for Mitosis when I decided to try one of my favorites on a newly readied Miss Maui. This was a
marblely patina with golds and browns. I was exceedingly pleased and repeated it on another, Number Two. Both Miss Mauis,
several Mysterys, and the first Mitosis returned to Maui with me a few weeks later.