I Hand Carved 8 Gallons of #epoxy Resin and Wood into a one of a kind sculpture. I used various power tools to make this #woodcarving of a sea turtle. This was one of the most challenging sculptures to date with many setbacks. Let me know what you guys think! #resin
Want to commission a meaningful piece of art just like this one? Email me directly from my website: www.blakemcfarland.com/contact
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3D rendering by Laura Mercadal @mercadal_laura
Products Used:
1. MAS Epoxy (Get 10% off ALL products + free shipping using code 'Blake' at checkout):
masepoxies.com/
2. 20V Chainsaw (highly recommend) - amzn.to/3hQpvD2
3. Re-usable hazmat suit- amzn.to/3sbtI9A
4. Face Shield & Respirator- amzn.to/3CbW9XT
5. Saburtooth Carving Discs & Burrs- www.saburrtooth.com/
6. Carving disc - Medium- amzn.to/38qDEVy
7. Carving disc- Aggressive- amzn.to/3ws802b
8. Carving burr- Fine- amzn.to/3yGkEgz
9. Carving Burr- Aggressive- amzn.to/3wdoAE1
10. Carving Burr 1/8" shaft- amzn.to/37Jh1LK
11. Carving Burr 1/8" shaft- amzn.to/3wrhJps
12. Arbortech Mini Carver- amzn.to/3Nx7YNB
13.Bessey Clamps- amzn.to/3IbYkxb
14. Orbital Sander- amzn.to/3CbVOEB
15. Small Orbital Air Sander (different color)- amzn.to/35T8nt1
16. Nylon wheel to clean up burl- amzn.to/3MnKM3b
17. Sawhorse (LOVE this thing)- amzn.to/39ihRQE
18. 12. Echo 18" Chainsaw- amzn.to/3PWjdjX
19. High Grit Sandpaper- amzn.to/3d9tF9k
20. Polishing Extra Fine Sandpaper- amzn.to/3daYYk3
My Camera- amzn.to/3LjOZnH
Camera Mic- amzn.to/3PjU82y
Voiceover Mic- amzn.to/3How7SV
00:00 Intro
00:16 Wood selection
01:36 Cleaning Burl
01:57 Penetrating epoxy
02:14 Epoxy Pour
03:06 LEAK!
03:24 Catastrophe
04:28 What happened?
05:54 More Problems
06:30 Fresh Start
06:50 Epoxy Pour
07:14 NOT AGAIN!
07:58 Just Look at it
08:16 Attempt #3
08:30 Working Theory
09:01 Epoxy Pour
09:17 Success
10:07 Carving
12:15 Rounding Shell
12:56 Getting Dirty
13:27 Carving Details
14:03 Turtle Face
15:04 Sanding
15:41 Filling Holes
16:35 Finishing
17:00 Pedestal
18:04 Whats next?
18:25 Welcome to the Turtle Club
What do you want to see me carve next???
fox?
Carve a SQUID please!!!
A Plymouth Roadrunner 🥰💕 BLUE.. EPOXY Please
an ara (parrot) on a branch
CAT please!!!
Incredibly expensive, incredible consumption of patience and energy, incredibly beautiful. Almost everyone I know would give up halfway through. And that's what makes your videos irresistible. Bring the result to a perfect end. One of the things I admire about you is that you show people the mistakes in your work. Your videos are truly unique, Blake.
Thank you so much Ray. I'm not going to lie, I thought about giving up many times on this sculpture haha. Thank you for the compliments 🙌🙌
Sounds like you need new friends my brotha
He actually threw the first one out and gave it to someone on Instagram so it's not like he saw everything all the way through but still immensely talented and now we all know what mistakes not to make.
Pretty, but all I see is plastic waste. More tiny particles to eventually end up inside all of us. So many mediums to use and everyone and their brother has to jump on the plastic bandwagon.
VERY TRUE! Far too many artists want to appear as if they are above mistakes, inhuman Gods of their crafts. It not only makes the videos boring, but discouraging if you use them for inspiration. You feel like, ill never be that good. Even if i practice a 100 years. But if you see mistakes AND it turns out fantastic, it makes you feel like, shit...maybe i CAN over come my mistakes and win if i keep trying!
What a journey! I feel your pain when you see those bubbles, I have so many epoxy resin mishaps myself. But the final result outweighs all the troubles, you made another masterpiece.
Thanks Gitara!
This is absolutely beautiful! With each new piece I have a new favorite! Your work is so INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful work with us! With every step I have a new appreciation for your work! I really love this!💥❤🙏
It's amazing what a men can do driven by the pursuit of beauty. Also the fact that Blake turned a suffering career-ending injury into a catalyst for Art is mind blowing. You always had it there, didn't you? Best regards from Portugal.
This is definitely one of the best I've seen you do - not just from a great pour and carve but from an artistic point of view the final sculpture is amazing!
Wow, thank you! I appreciate that!
Your commentary on the frustrations of bringing your sculpture to life was entertaining! You’re immensely talented and perhaps one day I could proudly own one of your pieces. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much 😊 This was one of the most frustrating ones I've ever done!
It’s fun watching you experience all these problems that you’ve completely solved in subsequent videos
Seeing the struggles a carve costs makes seeing the finished piece even more rewarding. Id love to see a Alligator carve. Id say full sized but that would require like 3 or 4 separate molds and put together like a puzzle.
I think it would be really cool to try a gator
I'm so thankful you allow us to share in the journey of making this art along with you. I feel like it raises the value of the pieces beyond measure.
Thank you so much!
You are, truly, a wizard! As somewhat of a sculptor myself, I am, I am awed by your talent and skills. I can so appreciate the journey of this piece, with all of the challenges. I won’t presume to even say what you should do next but I’ll be there to see it, whenever you decide the next journey.
Love u showing us the mistakes and possible issues, so I’m now prepared for a lot of things, and sharing the tools list is priceless ❤️
Really am amazed at the amount of patience you have with your sculptures, been a fan for a while now and love watching from start to the end piece of your sculptures. Your artistry is next level. Your commentary about your neighbors thinking you might be cooking meth had me in fits too Keep up the amazing work and keep inspiring.
One of my favorite woods for sculptures is buckeye burl, each tree can be so incredibly different that each and every piece is like a work of art in itself. Beautiful result you got here.
Same! Love buckeye burl
Love your videos and I like that you talk about the costs associated with the project. From the materials to time, I think it really showcases the amount of resources needed to complete such amazing works of art.
Thanks Paul, I was actually hesitant about disclosing the costs, but felt it really showed how much went into this... literally
Wow! The transitions of resin to wood from head to tail are phenomenal and you get even more of the true sensation of the turtle rising. Incredible work!
This is amazing. Thanks for sharing even the parts of your journey that aren't picture perfect!! It's truly incredible
Loving your work! Thanks for sharing!! I’d like to see a swordfish sculpture. I think that would be awesome.
That would be cool
I know this video is two months old, but if your still looking for recommendations of what to carve next, have you done a fox yet? I will be looking through all your videos because your content is very enjoyable. Keep up the good work 👍
Absolutely stunning, amazing artistry! And amazing patience too. Love watching you at work. Thanks for sharing.
its beautiful, the depth shown when you were polishing the shell was stunning. You did it!!!! xx
That you showed the failures, one have to endure along the way, is a biiiiig plus in my eyes! It shows, that everybody makes mistakes, and that you can learn from them! Thanks for this video fellow human :D
I wondered if you were going to address the bison in the room! Related fact - here in the UK, a bison was born in the wild for the first time in 6000 years this week! Love the turtle and the amazing placement of the wood in the fins. Amazing work.
wow thats an interesting fact! I like it, Thanks!
Absolutely gorgeous! I’d love to see you carve an immortal jellyfish 🪼
You are so talented. You make beautiful art. Also thank you for showing us the missteps in the process. It’s encouraging to others to persevere through difficulties.
Oh I love this one, it has a more organic look compared to the sculptures using stacked square pieces of wood. Love your content, as always! thank you.
Thank you very much, I agree it looks more natural.
This is incredible, the patience that you showed, thru each piece is amazing. I really love the wood you had the turtle mounted to.
I really like that you have shown your full process. You are an amazing artist and an inspiration for other artists. It all seems glamorous in a short video, but you showed how frustrating it can be to create art.
Absolutely perfection!! What an artist!!
WOW! that's a MASTERPIECE! The hard work that you put on this one it was worth it! Plus, this video is so motivational and a life lesson! Nothing is impossible if you belive in something and you don't give up! Thank you so much for scharing! (Maybe an octupus for the next one or an owl )
Thank you so much 😄 I think an owl could look really cool! Dont think I would be able to do an octopus because all the fragile tentacles though.
That turtle has been through so much 😔🥲
I just found you & I really respect you for showing all the bloopers. It makes us understand that sometimes stuff happens. Thank you.
Hi there. One of your videos was recommended to me while I was on an epoxy resin pour binge and I’ve been fascinated by your work since. You have incredible devotion to your projects 👏👏 I personally thought that the second attempt you made with the coral-like wood piece could have been salvageable, even with air bubbles. Living things still create air bubbles and currents underwater, so having bubbles within the sculpture would make the coral appearance more life-like. I would love to see the finished product using the pour (be it a turtle or another water-related animal) if you still have it. I look forward to watching more of your videos 🙌
You did an absolutely amazing job, I love turtles, they are one of my favourite creatures..the only thing that could have made it pop more would have been a green tinge in the Epoxy..
While it was expensive and frustrating, I hope you think it was worth all the time spent. I think it came out amazingly! Carving Ideas: Giraffe, Lionfish, Planet Earth (or maybe another planet), Fox, Deer, Seal.
I think it was well worth it and I have some great lessons learned and will hopefuly not make these mistakes in the future!
Absolutely stunning. I stumbled on your video by chance and enjoyed every second. I have done some carving in my younger years and this has inspired me to get back and do some more. Keep the videos coming, I look forward to following your work.
I can offer $20, a free mileshake at mcdonalds, a half pack of toliet paper and a compliment for said turtle lol
Absolutely stunning!! You asked for suggestions for your next project, I dearly love Pugs, and think their body shape and funny little faces would make a very interesting sculpture!!
Absolutely stunning piece of art mate. All those set-backs early in the piece would quickly have been forgotten once you started to see what this was turning into.
Your sculptures are beautiful. I love the transparent nature of epoxy combined with the natural looking wood. Perhaps you could consider sculpturing Scottish Highland cow it would look so cool if you were able to capture how their fur is blown in a wind 🤩
your work is amazing!
Just found your program and absolutely love it thank you!
you are definitely a born artist.. outstanding work as usual.. Keep rocking
I'd love to see a sculpture of 3 river otters at play!
Watched this video twice now. Love the turtle. Amazing work. I think all that sanding and polishing is just as much an art form as the carving. Lol… 💪💪👍
That might be the most beautiful piece of wood I’ve ever seen. 😳🤯🤯
I have to applaud your patience and dedication in this project! Very admirable! Personally I think that even with the bubbles, the 2nd attempt could have looked super cool! :D but man!The final sculpture really look amazing!
Love your work!
Absolutely gorgeous work of art!!!
Absolutely beautiful! Dude I love your work.
The bubbles and cracks from it curing are because you are pouring the whole mold all at once and its a fairly large ammount of epoxy. You have to do it in layers.
You are a TRULY TALENTED ARTIST ! BEAUTIFUL WORK !
Wow great job bro! Thanks for sharing the whole journey of this project.
pur passion! it would have quit after the second fail.. love that you stay calm and finish what you attempted... and it looks freaking awesome like all your sculptures! just awesome!
Gorgeous. Congratulations and well done.
greetings to you from London uk. amazing work, I thank you, I watch as many of your creations as possible.i find It very relaxing.
Love your work! I have checked out 3 of your video's T-rex head, rainbow trout, and this one, the turtle. The last two need eyes. Eyes are the portals to the soul. It gives them life. They almost go unnoticed in the clear epoxy. I am a metal artist and look at other mediums for ideas and techniques. You are very informative! great work!
There seems to be no end to your wonderful talent and patience, that’s yet another wonderful sculpture, keep these videos coming please. 👌👌👌
You do great work!!! I would like to see you do a wild turkey and I think this would be a test of your amazing skills. thanks Bill
hmmmm I like wild turkey. Good whiskey
Thanks for your perseverance!
Stunning!
Love both types of sculptures you do. Though I am really drawn to the wood/epoxy since they have a magical quality because of how you do them. I think an Elephant would be a nice addition in either medium or both for fun! Thanks for sharing your talent gift! 👏👏👏
Absolutely beautiful piece of art. 🐢 love burl and epoxy together. I’m waiting on that Bison 🦬 video ❤🧡🤍🖤
Thanks Maddie! Bison coming soon!
Gorgeous sculpture!!!!
Great that you never gave up. Keep creating 👊
Absolutely stunning!
Every time I watch one of your videos I just can't believe my eyes. You are so talented. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you soo much Andrea!
You teach us so much about resilience and excellence. And you know what? Turtles are resilient. Thanks Blake. That’s the perfect episode to celebrate the 300K🎉 Congrats !!
Thank you so much Vanessa!
Absolutely beautiful, what an amazing talent you have x
Thank you so much for doing a turtle! Its beautiful ❤ hopefully one day i can afford to get a couple of these from you 🙏
I just found & I really respect you and your work I love you so much ❤️
Absolutely beautiful! Great video. I don’t know how you didn’t give up on this one. But from my perspective it was worth it. Wow
I found your channel yesterday, I’m very impressed with your skill, but my 4yo girls are absolutely loving your videos. They did there first epoxy projects yesterday.
Молодец мастер, прекрасная работа. Браво!
Wow! Just…just wow❤❤❤ The line on the turtle where the epoxy meets the wood looks like the waterline, like it’s poking its head up out of some invisible, wooden ocean. So beautiful! Your sculptures just keep getting better and better! I know it was frustrating, but just like a major boss in Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Elden Ring; it’s the hardest, most cuss-worthy thing you’ll ever try…but there’s nothing sweeter than that final victory 🎉
hahaha Love that. Thanks Marilyn!
This past week since I’ve found your channel I’ve been watching videos every night. It’s super satisfying to watch and you remind me a lot of my dad who passed away in 2022. You never give up even when it’s hard! Thanks for what you do! 🫶🏼
you are one true artist
Just absolutely beautiful!
beautiful work! BRAVO
I have just started to see you work(this one is only my 3rd one), and I'm blown away, your work is awesome
This would look beautiful in my entry...I love it. 🐢
That is amazing. Love watching these videos. I would've suggested a green tint in the apoxy.
Absolutely stunning! Congrats!!!😊
Thank you!! 😊
That is one majestic piece of art you made👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Incredible the concept to completion, it's just beautiful. I will be sharing with friends.
Love all your carvings. Amazing as always.
Thank you so much 😀
That turtle sculpture is BAD @$$! Your work is awesome. I have enjoyed watching several of your videos. Can't wait to see what the next sculptures will be.
FANFUCHINGTASTIC! You’re a gifted young man.. a tortured artist! FANTASTICO!
Wow and another great piece. I enjoy your videos so talented. What a gift you have. After watching this one was wondering if you ever do anything with some color in it ? Like maybe a big tropical fish ?
What an incredible work of art!! Beautiful😊
Thank you so much 😀
Absolutely amazing!
I’m amazed at everything you do truly an artist !
Sublime work with some obstacles, - but the Turtel is so graceful and i can feel her old age and many experiences down in the ocen ! Congrats and my greatest respect for xyour Art work !
i can not imaging the frustrations, the sleepless nights, the heart & head aches you went through to get this right.. but in the end. it is extremely rewarding .KUDOS. my goodness. another lovely sculpture. love the base too.. i looks gorgeous, i can't say this is my favorite, as all of your Pieces are SO BEAUTIFUL.. the only tiny thing i would do " if it were mine of course " i would use a coat of Varnish (the wood looks kinda dull), so both material would have the same surface luster. if that makes sense... thank you for sharing. another master piece.
Thank you! Yes I could have used a glossy finish. I change up the finishing from sculpture to sculpture
It's WONDERFUL!👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️❤️
What a beautiful outcome! I love turtles and tortoise. I just finished a concrete tortoise for my flag pole sits on a big ol rock
That band of wood that runs from the body through the left fin is gorgeous.
Great work! Recently found your channel and working through all the videos.....;).
Everyones doing these great looking creative things... Looks amazing work
Thank you so much 😀
A long hard road in the beginning but this is absolutely spectacular!!! How the resin and the wood flow together. An Amazing Sculpture of A Sea Turtle 🐢