Summer Stone Carving, Part 3

Well, I brought that knot sculpture home from Nova Scotia thinking that it just needed a little more work. And then it took me most of September and October to finish it and get it mounted on a base! But in the end it was worth it. I entered it in the juried member's show at the Wayne Art Center, and won the award for the sculpture category, out of 15 or so other 3-D pieces in the show. It is titled, simply, "Knot." I'm still trying to figure out what the knot means to me. It seems to suggest a kind of strong embrace as well as a feeling of confinement or constriction. But beyond that I'm really not sure. I do know that the knotting and twisting of several strands of rope creates forms that are sculpturally exciting and challenging, so I'll probably be working with this idea some more in the future.

Nova Scotia Beaches

The beaches in Nova Scotia were great. Most of the ones that I went to had no lifeguards or bathrooms or places to change, just lots of rocks, the sand and the surf. Often I would have the beach to myself, except for a couple of other people out walking their dogs. Occasionally there would be a family out playing in the sand with their kids, or a on a day when the waves were a bit rough, surfers in wet suits would show up in groups of two or three to practice their sport in the chilly waters of the north Atlantic. Most every day I would take off my shoes and walk along the edge of the water. On some days I wore my bathing suit and went further in, but only if there were other people around. And I picked up lots and lots of stones to take home. The granite there is really beautiful, and so varied in its color combinations.

Summer Stone Carving, Part 2

My solo summer vacation continued as I spent two wonderful weeks in East Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, where Margot, a friend and former student at Pendle Hill, generously offered me the use of her home while she was away. It was my first time in Nova Scotia, and I loved being there by myself - exploring the small towns of the eastern shore (northeast of Halifax), walking the local beaches every day, napping when I needed to, cooking whatever I felt like eating, and working long hours on my sculpture. Mostly I worked on the knot sculpture, refining the forms further and creating a surface texture that suggested strands of twisted fiber within the rope. These photos also show the view from the back of Margot's house, looking out over Chezzetcook Inlet which connects to the open ocean about 5 kilometers to the left.

Summer Stone Carving, Part 1

I can't believe it's been so long since my last blog post! This past August I took a month-long trip to Maine and Nova Scotia, by myself except for a van full of stone and carving tools. While staying at a friend's house in Winterport, Maine, I set up an outdoor studio in the backyard and started this sculpture, based on a piece of knotted rope. By the time I left Ann's place a week later to head further north, I had the basic form pretty well roughed out.

Best of Show!

Here is the finished piece "Balancing Act" displayed at the annual members exhibition at the Community Art Center in Wallingford, PA.  I was surprised and pleased when they called me the other day to tell me that I had gotten first prize in the sculpture category, as well as the best of show award!

Carving on Mother's Day

Mother's Day turned out to be a glorious day for carving.  The weather was sunny and breezy, warm enough to be comfortable but not too hot.  I couldn't think of a better way to spend the afternoon, than to work on refining and sanding these stacked stone forms.  I also drilled the holes out a bit larger to accommodate a thicker support rod, cut the threaded rod to the right length, and made a new top piece to sit at a steeper angle.  It doesn't show in this picture, but I also had time to work on the two-tiered base, trimming off the rough surfaces and putting a bevel along the edges to protect them from chipping.  So now everything is ready for the final stages of sanding.  Hope I can get back to this some time on Thursday or Friday afternoon. 

Now We're Gettin' Somewhere

It's exciting when the piece actually starts looking like I had envisioned in the sketch.  There's still a long way  to go, but we're definitely gettin' there!