close to the stone

["tracy powell" <powells@xxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

If I may pop in again :)  When I suggested hand tools to
Jane, and Laurie  began this phase of the conversation,
it was a simple notion of adding an option for Jane's
work in soft stone ( i believe she was talking about
alabaster and soapstone ).  Since then the discussion
has got really lively and brought out some ideas that
caused me to think about what "close to the stone" meant
to me.  I carve a little of every stone I can find, and
try to fit the tools and methods to the job at hand, but
it is undeniable that the work that Feels the best is
hand carving, and if I could grow teeth and nails that
would cut the stone, I would drop all the tools.  But
since we have to use some kind of instruments to shape
these things, my inclination is to go with the simplest
tools that will get the job done, the ones that least
get in the way of my intimacy with the stone.  And that
changes with each carving.  I just finished a 200 lb
piece in alabaster ( well, its 100 lbs now ), all with
steel chisels & rasps, hand sanded dry and wet, my hands
are sore and bleeding, and it was wonderful!  The next
one will be granite, all diamond saws and carbide tipped
pneumatics, dust and noise, and more pain, and it will
probably be wonderful too, but I'll have to try a little
harder to feel it.   Its all good. And reading the
messages on this list is all good too.   Happy Carving
Tracy Powell

http://www.powellstudios.com/