Stone

Stone. Hard, durable, monumental. For much of art history over the last 3,000 years, stone has been the material for sculpture. One look at Michelangelo’s Pieta and you’ll want to throw your hammer and chisels in the trash (and the fact that he made it in his early 20′s will make you question the point of your life). But moving forward, the artist working in stone will find a hugely rewarding medium, full of variation, colors, attributes and potentials. The learning curve is steep, but even the most basic of accomplishments can be intensely rewarding.

Techniques

There are two main ways in which I approach stone. One is with carving tools that have not changed much in thousands of years – basically a hammer and chisels. These tools are good for everything from rough surface removal to fine detail. The other set of tools that I use are much more contemporary – grinders, hammer drills, masonry blades and bits. These tools are good for aggressive shaping and elemental carving…but watch out! One small mistake can ruin dozens, even hundreds, of hours of work. In fact, I find stone the most difficult and unforgiving of all the materials that I work with. But I also find it the most satisfying. There is something primal about stonecarving that I enjoy, and I am always on the lookout for commissions that incorporate it.