Stone Talk
by Athar Jaber | 11 June 2023
Quote
“I love my blocks of marble, always piling up in the yard like a flock of sheep.”
– Barbara Hepworth
Listen
Listen to the fascinating story of Giuliano Cecchinelli. He’s the last of a long legacy of Italian stone carvers in Barre, Vermont. Craftsmen whose skill transformed an industry and made the small central town in Vermont the “Granite Capital of the World.”
Watch
Watch this fascinating time-lapse that shows how master sculptor Fred X. Brownstein recreates Antonio Canova’s sculpture “Venus” using Canova’s marble sculpting process over the course of 6 months
Read
Italian sculptor Jago has earned a widespread praise for his modern twists on classical art. Last week, his own studio in Naples was turned into a museum. In this short interview he talks about his work and practice.
Q&A
One of you has asked me:
“I want to try stone sculpting, where do I start? Are there any opportunities which don’t require setting up an own workshop or enrolling in a university?”
Indeed, getting started with stone carving can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to look. Enrolling in an academy is a long-term commitment. While setting up a small studio comes with lots of questions and uncertainties. And both options require a serious financial engagement.
There are ways around them.
Here are three suggestions I’d give, in my order or preference:
- Find a short workshop. There are plenty of courses ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks for student of all levels and financial means (check out my week-long workshop in Tuscany on our website).
- Find a local stone sculpture studio or a stone masonry company, And offer to help. Be willing to start from just wiping the floor and learn with your eyes.
- Enrol in an online course. There are a few good ones to be found on the World Wide Web (check out my popular online letter carving course at our website).
If you guys have other suggestions on how to start stone carving? Put them in the comments of the upcoming related post on our Instagram page and help passionate people getting started with the craft!
Do you have specific question around sculpture and stone carving? Send a message to our Instagram page and I’ll do my best to answer it in one of the next Stone Talk Newslette
I hope you enjoyed these points and that you learned something new.
Until next week,
Athar
P.S.: Want more tips and insights on how to become a better sculptor? Follow us on Instagram.
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