re Tuscany

[abknight@zzzzzz]

Norman!

McCarter: How did Italy get into this picture?

Moroles: I already had my sights on going to Italy. I
actually postponed my trip to Italy to go to work with
Luis Jimenez, so after the year of being with him I then
went off to Italy and that was a great experience.

McCarter: Why was that such a great experience?

Moroles: For one thing, I went there to try to figure out
what direction my work was going to go. In the process I
discovered some things and also got the
experiences--walking in the same steps that Michelangelo
did up in the mountains [Altissimo]--and I actually did
find what I was looking for, a whole theme for my work.

McCarter: What would that theme be?

Moroles: On this pilgrimage I made, the last days I was in
Italy a friend of mine invited me to climb Altissimo. It
was the mountain where Michelangelo would get his white
marble from and go off to hide from the Pope. We started
out on this journey early in the morning, 2:00 a.m. to
drive to the place and park and then start to go up.
Before daybreak we were walking through the last few
villages to get to the top of the mountain. Just as
daybreak was happening and the light was coming over, all
of a sudden there was a big explosion. We didn't know what
it was. It was the opening of the Day of the Carvers. We
had just gone through the last little town and didn't
notice there were streamers and everything. It was going
to be the celebration of the carvers, and we were both
carvers and we were up on top of this mountain at this
very minute. When we came back down, I was looking at the
steps that were made by people walking up. The whole
mountain was marble, and it was polished by people's feet.
It was morning so dew was on the marble. You could see in
the marble--it was transparent, and it had grass growing
around it which was like living nature and this living
stone that you could see through. Then I thought, if I
could cut out this little step and bring it back, this is
what I want to do, show man and nature working together
instead of tearing each other apart.

A little sentiment from Jesus Bautista Moroles, granite
carver and travel agent.  Not your average carver Joe.
That I should have such a theme.  Everything would be
clear!

Norman I would like to know what else is on your reading
list, besides Irving Stone.

Bill