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This stone is a translucent alabaster from Voltare, Italy. You can read the "123" on the side of the stone written in black, that is the weight of the stone. Alabaster is generally 147 lbs. per cubic foot, so you can get the idea of the size.
Next to the "123" you can see white areas within the stone. This is crushed stone and will only become more apparent as the sculpture progresses so my first step is to clean up the stone, carve away all the bruised areas, so that I know exactly how much stone I have to work with.
I love this stage, it's the initial greeting, where I get to discover the rock and learn what it will offer to the finished sculpture. This stone has a warm glow, when the sun drops low enough in the sky to shine on the rock. It seems very solid and I have been aggressive with my chisel to knock off any areas that are weak.
Watching this piece progress will be lots of fun. I look forward to the process. Do you have an idea now of what you wnat to sculpt or do you develop the subject as the rock characteristics become appearant?
ReplyDeleteHey Sharon, I am glad you found this little blog. To answer your question, I wasn't going to work with a plan but once I got into this rock I will. It's much more exciting to carve direct, but sometimes the tools will carve faster then your brain and you can get lost. Carving indirect, following a maquette (model) there is no fear of making any false moves. Thanks for looking and asking a very good question.
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