adventures of an absolute beginner

["C & K de Haan" <gallo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yes please Sam!
And I'd love to know what sort of stone you've found to start out
with.  You sound as though you're enjoying yourself - and the
stone.  As far as what's in the stone is concerned, time will tell.
(Some know what they want to carve and look for a seemingly
suitable stone, but I rarely start out that way.)

Listening to your stone:
In my limited, but telling, experience, I start off with a lump
of rock and *maybe* an idea, inspired by what I see in the
stone.  It's good to look at the stone and become familiar with
it before ever starting on it.  This suits me fine as I have
little time to carve, so while I'm engaged on other things, a stone
will be standing quietly where I can see it and from day to day
I acquire a new perspective on it, things I never saw to begin
with.

Then I'll start on it and things begin to take shape and
aspects I was unsure of become clearer as I go on.
Occasionally I have these brilliant flashes of insight on how to
proceed, but generally it's a question of putting my trust in
the stone that it will turn out ok in the end.  A stone I find may
have a totally new aspect or shape hidden within, but then I
come along with my preconceived ideas (and a tendency to
opt for certain shapes time and again)  But the point is, I may
have ideas in mind as to what it is going to become, but
ultimately it is a dialogue between carver and stone, with the
stone up front.  So I may well end up with something very
different from my original 'inspired' idea .

And then there's the practical point of
the structure of the stone, which may not accommodate
what the carver had in mind, or only up to a point.  If  you
have a clear idea of what you intend to get out of a stone,
then it can be a real pain to find a  head or limb drop off when
the whole is nearing completion.  Since I tend to opt for more
abstract shapes, I'm less vulnerable in this area, and part of
the fun is adapting to whatever the stone comes up with.

I find I meet myself in these stones and how I carve them.
Can't think of an example now, but I often have to grin about
things I come up against in a stone and how I deal with them.
Reflects a whole load of stuff in life in general, so while I'm
gaining solace and peace in the carving itself, the whole
process is a sort of reflection on life and can be
strengthening and stimulating.

Well, before I get carried away I'll go and do something
more constructive - or have another look at the stones around
me now....
Enjoy.  (and say hi to that rabbit)
Katie de Haan
The Netherlands

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