The Beginning

When I start making a Stone Abstract Sculpture I don’t always begin with a sketch to inspire me. Sometimes I just start carving a stone and see where it takes me. But this time I did make an initial drawing for making this Abstract Sculpture. It evolved from other previous work that I had carved. At times my imagination runs away with me. All the permutations. So its good to get down to the making, seeing the volume in real. Then adapting, changing shapes, proportions to accomplish a piece that will be harmonious.

The Raw Materials

I always keep an eye out for my raw materials, visiting local quarries at Portland or local Stone Workshops. Sometimes I’m not looking for a particular size or type of stone. But I find it’s important to keep a stock to keep my creative processes moving into fruition. There’s nothing worse than having an idea and no materials to make it with. You may have to adapt the original thought to fit the stone but I always enjoy being led by the dimensions and character of the Stone. It is a partnership.

The Carving

This piece is of the beautiful Kilkenny Limestone which can be polished. Working with diamond Tools I rough the shape out. At times using a paper template or just by drawing directly on the stone. Letting my tools guide me towards the perfect shape. To get closer to the form I use tungsten files to smooth out the surface. When I,m happy with the form, I then go on to the next stage.

Polishing

This was a piece of Carrara Marble that I was polishing for another Sculpture but the techniques are the same. I begin by working the stone in water with different grades of rubbing blocks 80 grain then 120 grain. Moving on to wet & dry emery paper. Working through the grades, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500. Phew! This is a laborious process and you have to be careful to rub out all the previous grades marks before moving onto the next grade. It’s a good idea to wait for the stone to dry between processes to see if there are any scratch marks.

Assembling the Sculpture.

I then prepare the stones to be fixed together. Using stainless steel threaded bar of the appropriate thickness and a stone epoxy resin. I carefully mark out the positioning of the holes, always slightly bigger than the bar. Measure twice, drill once! Then I cut the bars to the right length for the depths of the holes. Always assemble the stones together dry, to make sure there are no problems or adjustments to be made. Wash all the stones and let dry. Prepare and have all your tools ready before using the epoxy resin. It can set very quickly!

The Final Stone Abstract Sculpture

You can treat the stones with a lot of different products. Here on the Portland Stone I used the Lithofin MN Stain-Stop impregnator and on the Kilkenny Limestone, Keda Marble Wax.

So I hope you’ve enjoyed this little insight into the making of a stone abstract sculpture and my creative process. I will be taking part in a local Art Festival at Sculpture by the Lakes, 3rd- 5th July 2020. Showcasing the best Artists and Makers in Dorset. Demonstrating their techniques and talent. Bookings are taken on Eventbrite. Hope to see you there.

Also, feel free to visit my Sculpture page if you would like to see more of my Sculptures.

Stone & Carving Tools Suppliers UK

• Southern Stone has a great selection of tools and different stones. Malta Limestone, Alabaster and other Marbles.
• Albion Stone has a great stock of Portland Stone, great for beginners and experts alike.
• Harbro for tools and stone treatments.

So here’s a little insight into my creative process that I go through to create my sculptures and paintings.

I usually begin with an inkling of an idea. It could come from something I’ve seen recently or memory from way back. A foggy image that has touched me in some way. It could also be a previous sculpture that still needs to be refined.

My Creative Process

This next sculpture was inspired when I was working on a house restoration project in the Province, France. I was working on the second floor of the building when I saw a doorway opening out to an unfinished balcony. The outside railing had not be fixed and there was no door in place. So for safety reasons the workmen had creatively blocked the opening with pieces of wood leaning in between the sides of the doorway, in a zig-zag pattern. Hmmm, I thought that could be a potential idea for a sculpture!

So the first stage was to make a few sketches and see what was possible. There are so many variations that in reality I only really sculpt a small percentage of my ideas. A sculpture is a slow and laborious task!

After this stage, it’s obviously thinking of materials to sculpt and what I can afford and find. I’m a bit truth to materials and don’t like pushing a material into doing something that isn’t natural to it,s particular characteristics. So I sourced some beautiful wood and stone. Thought of the size, colours and textures.

I then drew out some templates to make sure the stone forms would fit perfectly into the wooden frame. Spent hours of dusty carving and doweling. Et  Voila!

The Final Sculpture

As I mentioned before, there are so many variations on this idea and I’m sure I’ll be continuing to develop and progress this idea further.

I’m also really pleased that a private collector has acquired this sculpture. Which has pride of place in a beautiful garden overlooking a beach where I played as a young child.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this little insight into my artistic journey. Let’s see where I go next?