a new beginning

["John Vancamp" <jvcstnwrks@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

HI Ray,

Welcome to the list, and the addictive world of stone dust.

Like you, I had no sort of artistic training, but a passion for stone.
Degree in geology, and earning my living as a stone mason.  One of my very
early mentors gave me the most important bit of advise I needed to begin
carving, and I will pass it on to you.   "Don't pay any attention to what
others think (particularily academic artists).  Just carve something, and
if you like it --then it is art.   If you don't like it,-- toss it out the
back door, and carve something else."  That was 26 years ago when Nati gave
me the permission I needed to carve, and I've been at it ever since.  I
begain with a rather simple tool kit--a lot of things one can buy at any
hardware store for working wood can be used to work the softer stones like
limestone, soapstone, and alabastre.  Work space started out rather simple
also-- under a shade tree in the yard.  Of course, it all has evolved over
the years, and now my work space is a 45 x20 pole barn structure, and tools
include hundreds of chisels and different sized air hammers, a fork lift,
overhead gantry crane, and ahuge air compressor. No dust collecting
equipment except every flat surface in the shop,  and since I mostly work
with the limestone, not much in the way of respirators or other breathing
equipment. I do keep a quality particle mask--twin cartrige type-- around
for those occassions when I'm working on sandstone, etc.

Anyway, just throw yourself into the carving, and if the passion is there,
you will be hooked, and everything else will fall into place as you
determine what YOUR particular carving needs are.  A couple of good books
out there for tools and techniques.  My favorite is "contempory stone
carving", by Dona Meilach.

JVC