1: How did the idea come to you?
The idea for this piece came to me from the shape of the original stone. It had a natural twist and arc to it that wanted to become a female torso. I brought this stone to carve at the symposium at Pilgrim Firs this July.

2: Process: Maquette? Drawing? Direct Carve? Other?
I always start direct carving the stone and together we find the form. I used a point chisel to rough out the shape and then used a flat tooth chisel to develop the shape. I like to keep part of the natural stone in the final piece so I worked around the cleft in the waist, which was in the original stone. I used a flat chisel to finish the back of the piece and sanded/polished it to a high shine. I left the raw chisel marks in front and created a curvilinear division so it’s not a stark front versus back.

3: Hardest part?
The hardest part was finding the mood of the sculpture as well as keeping the anatomy in mind as I worked. I had been away for sculpting for a while, so I had to find my way again. Many artists at the symposium helped me with their thoughts and critiques, thank you all!

4: Easiest part?
The easiest part was choosing to incorporate both the flat tooth chisel marks and the smooth polished finish. I was getting feedback at the symposium about my mark making and how nice it looked... but chlorite polishes to such a beautiful black shine! So, I did both and am pleased with the results.

5: What did you learn from the making of this piece?
I learned a lot from this piece about myself and about the generosity of artists. Even after not carving for a while, I can still carve. This is a valuable lesson not to give up and not to give in to temporary insecurities. Also, the wonderful support and helpful critiques from fellow artists are truly a gift. Thank you!

How did the idea come to you?

“Birth” was inspired by my father.  

Process: Maquette? Drawing? Direct Carve? Other?

By drawing and sometimes makes modeling with air dry clay.

Hardest part?

Making the center of hole.

Easiest part?

None.

What did you learn from the making of this piece? 

“Balance.” Carrara marble was strong but very soft, too.

 

Hardest part?
I think the most difficult part was repeatedly drawing on the jade using the template to separate the tentacles and give the piece some movement and depth.

Easiest part?
I found polishing it to be the easiest part of the process although no steps in this sometimes tedious process were skipped. I usually do enjoy the finishing process seeing the end reward of all the effort.

What did you learn from the making of this piece?
I learned a great deal about Jade as a carving medium. It is said that you must respect the material but not let it bully you. I am certain I will still pursue larger scale sculpture but I must say, there is something very satisfying about creating a small sculpture that you can wear every day.