I have started experimenting with some of my limestone pieces. I have used wood stains to add a different feeling to the work. This is my second attempt. I don’t have a title for this one yet, and it is still in progress. I have to figure out how to base it. I have had many suggestions to hang it. But, that is beside the point. As you can see, this piece is not the standard color of Indiana limestone. I used a blue universal wood dye to add color. I think it is pretty cool. What I don’t know is how it will hold the color if it becomes an outdoor sculpture. That is one of the fun parts of being an artist is that you get to experiment to see what happens.
corliberum
Ever Wanted To Learn To Carve Stone? Now's Your Chance! /
The Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea shared this post on their facebook page. I will be teaching a beginning carving class at the center this summer. If you ever wanted to learn to carve stone, now's your chance. We will be carving an abstract bird. Does it look a little familiar? it is the model for the birds from "Cor Liberum". Don't wait, sign up!
Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea
We will be holding Learnshops here at the Kentucky Artisan Center from July 13- 26. Berea Tourism's website for the Festival of Learnshops is now open for registering for an amazing array of creative opportunities.
Mike McCarthy will be teaching a stone carving workshop - carving a bird from limestone like shown here. His workshop will be held at the Center on July 14. Go to www.visitberea.com and look for "Festival of Learnshops" - and go to the "wood, metal, stone" section.
A Change In Direction /
This is the start of the piece. I thought it needed the base as well as the solid form above.
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