Suiseki

Quoted text begins.... finding a special stone that needs no carving.
And ...
How interesting that a fellow from Australia would find their
site and pass it on.
End of quote.

Greetings to everyone on the Stone list,
This mention of the Suiseki stones and then George's comment about our
connections making the world smaller have spurred me to write. Last
November I asked about visiting Portland Quarries in Dorset. The
response I got sounded as though not too many visitors go to the island
off the UK's south coast that time of year. But Hannah Sofaer agreed to
meet with us.

Hannah was instrumental in setting up our StoneLearning Web site. Yet,
she is so busy with interdisciplinary projects that she does not read
our correspondence. But she was very excited to hear that we are
thriving and such a diverse group - I told her about reading messages
from Australian and Welsh letter carvers, a Virginia blacksmith, Texas
and Washington quarry owners, Canadian and French and American and
Italian sculptors, a Welsh geologist (Hannah has worked with Tim Palmer
(correct name?)) and other academics, masons and stonewallers, amateurs
and established artists, and so many who have an interest in geology,
art, and architecture. It really is a well-rounded group and I
apologize if I left out anyone.

I have to recommend that all of you visit the Isle of Portland sometime.
In the summer they run stone carving workshops and hold lectures about
the famous Portland limestone. Check out the StoneLearning site for
dates and fees. It's really a fantastic place to visit with the Tout
Quarry now a sculpture park and a place to wander to see both art and
geology first hand. There are permanent works (though some in decay)
by Phillip King, Paul Cooper, and Anthony Gormley. From the edge of the
quarry you look along the coast with a spectacular view of Chesil Beach
that provides a causeway to the island jutting up from the sea. Early
quarrying was done right on the shore line and so there are rocky
heights with ocean views. In fact, it seems most tourists in the summer
drive up to the flat top of the island and cross it to get to the
Portland Bill, a lighthouse. They miss the sculpture park and seeing
the remains of other quarries.

Paul Crabtree and Hannah work at the Drill Hall, not far from the
Portland Heights Hotel. Paul is a sculptor and teaches in the summer
workshops (June to September). We toured the Independent Quarry which
is right behind the Drill Hall and saw how Hannah and Paul are planning
to turn this now-working quarry that will shortly close into an
environmental, interdisciplinary park that will have features of
interest to sculptors, landscape architects, geologist, ecologists,
fossil collectors, ornithologists, and university courses that tie in
with these and other disciplines.

Decked out in hard hats, yellow vests, and Wellingtons, we watched as
they cut limestone blocks from the few remaining walls. One of the
quarry men handed me a palm-sized Portland Devil. This is a shell
fossil that seems to have the profile of the devil on its hinged side.
I don't know if it would be classed as a Suiseki, but it surely does
have a hooked nose, pointy chin, and eye sockets. When Hannah asked if
she could have one too, the quarryman went over to a gully and pulled
one out. I understand they are well-known but not very common.

I've rambled. Sorry, But I have been meaning to write and tell all of
you that Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust is worth a visit. There is a
major symposium being planned for 2006 and I am sure Hannah will be
sending details about this conference that will pull together all the
stone arts and ecology links.

Thanks for all the interesting messages about carving and the links to
so many beautiful works,
Judy Buswick