Stone Carving Course – April 2017

Stone Carving Course members busy at work

Day One

We got off to an early start, with stone blocks selected and onto the work benches in quick time. Everyone was very focused and full of ideas for shaping their stones.

Triangular Pyramid carefully carved

Heart and Triangle carved in stone

Gazing hare appearing in the stone

Maori Tiki takes shape

Owl waiting for his feet to be carved

Details of the castle battlements taking shape

Stone carving in the initial stages of roughing out is a physical process and hard work at times, yet everyone impressively got stuck-in and quickly shapes were emerging from the stone. There were lots of questions (which are always welcome, in fact I love them) – how to carve an eye, shape a delicate ear, put a flat surface on a rough hewn stone, how to carve letters, when do I use this chisel, how do I sharpen the chisel, what do I do when bits break off! But we had no accidents and everyone showed great respect for their stone and were quick to pick up the techniques for avoiding major mishaps.

Pebble oval curves taking shape

The oval pebble will have a face

Tall Hare being roughed out

Spiral form emerging

Features of a face being roughed out

Day Two

Here are some images of the wonderful carvings made over the weekend. Thankyou everyone for your hard work and enthusiasm, but especially for your creativity and making those stone lumps into beautiful, individual sculptures.

Gazing Hare sculpture carved during the Spring Stone Carving Course in Lastingham