In the ‘About Me” section on this website, I talk about my first introduction to carving in stone. I tell the story of a few days in a town called Mamallapuram during my time spent in Indian. Many of you have requested to see photos from that time and of my creation.
The pictures here show the first mini carving I did on the first day and then the slightly larger one. I chose to carve a gecko because there are so many of them, all around the room, to use as models. I assume it is a type of soap stone, it was pretty soft, I don’t have a lot of experience with soapstone so I am not sure. Notice the position I am sitting in. Since then, I have always either clamped a small piece to the workbench or easel to stop it moving, or I have embedded it in sand, and I have even plastered it to a breeze block before. But never since being in India have I held it still with my toes and worked all day in that hunched over position.
While I was working away, a friend of my teacher, was carving a candle/nightlight holder for me. I asked for anything typically Indian. I watched him work and was very impressed. The ball had already been turned and hollowed out and he spent a few days working away on it. Most of it he did by scraping with a sharp chisel and sanding.
All in all it was a great and life changing experience, and here I am now.. still carving!
