flawed stone

["Tim Bunton" <tbunton@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

"when does a crack or flaw begin to effect the value of a finished sculpture?
I am pretty darn good at hiding  and disguising these
imperfections.....does a repaired  or hidden crack make a piece less
valuable?"

This has been a question that has been plaguing me as well.  When I
encounter a flaw in stone I am working, I really don't know what to do.  It
has been my observation that the majority of stone sculptors work on
stylized or abstract pieces.  As such, I can see how you could roll with the
punches and work around the natural flaws in the rock, minimizing the visual
impact of a flaw or crack by altering the shape or texture of that part of
the piece.  I myself am striving (at times less successfully than others) to
create realistic figurative sculpture.  (the term Michelangelo-wanna-be
comes to mind...)  When I'm working on such a piece and I encounter an
internal flaw, I feel helpless.  Like most people, I start from the outside
of the block and work in from all sides, so I pretty much commit myself to a
certain pose and find it impossible to change the positioning of my figure.

By the time I find a flaw, I've often invested too much time on the piece to
be able to walk away, so I just continue on, weeping quietly as I carve and
asking myself why I didn't invest the big bucks to get a block of higher
grade stone.  Sometimes the flaw will finally give way and an appendage will
break off of my figure- I simply glue it back with Akemi stone epoxy and
continue on.

Should I be a man and stop working on a piece if there is reason to believe
that the stone will fracture down the road?  Am I significantly reducing the
value of my work if my finished sculptures have *tastefully* re-attached
arms, legs, etc.?  Are there ways of disguising cracks or flaws on a smooth,
polished surface that I don't know about?  I have always respected the
group's insight on these matters and look forward to hearing your thoughts
and experiences.

Thanks,
Tim Bunton
Orem, Utah
USA