A Change In Direction / by Mike McCarthy

This is the start of the piece. I thought it needed the base as well as the solid form above.

This is the start of the piece. I thought it needed the base as well as the solid form above.

The stone disappeared. 

The stone disappeared. 

Sometimes when I first start an abstract piece, I have a set idea for where I want to go with it. As I get into the piece, it either says “yes, this is where I want to go”, or “I don’t think so!”  My current piece was the latter. I started with a piece that had broken off of the caregiver in “Cor Liberum”. When I first say it, i thought I saw an elegant solid shape that just needed some minor adjustments to give it better balance. As I started making those adjustments, I just felt it wasn’t getting there. So, I decided to cut about 4 inches off the bottom and cut a groove down the center of it. These are not easy decisions as they can ruin hours of work and create another rock for the scrap pile. (When I used to carve wood, these decisions pften created fire wood.) however, sometimes the stone agrees with your decisions. With this piece, I think you will agree that the stone did want to go in this direction. 

Another view

Another view