Welcome to my direct stone carvings!
Take your time and browse.
Let me know if you see anything you like.
"When we first saw the sculpture “Gumdrop” we were attracted to the colors and shape of the piece and especially to the shadows the internal lighting of the stone revealed. For us, the internal lighting added a whole new dimension to the sculpture. It was not long after that we brought it home and have been enjoying it ever since!"
"As Sal says on his website “Most art goes to sleep when the sun goes down, while the world I create wakes up and comes to life.” That is true of the sculptures we have seen that Sal has created and adds a unique and satisfying dimension to his work."
Robert and Janet
For millennia humans have satisfied their drive to create by carving figures from stone. Discoveries dating back as far as 35,000 years ago show early man emulated the physical attributes of the human form, as evidenced by the famous Venus figurines. I too have an innate need to reflect the natural world around me. I do this through carving stone art as well. Tools and stone carving techniques have evolved through the ages though the basic principles have not. Percussion and abrasion are the two foundational methods to remove material and reveal the figure within.
As Michelangelo was so famously quoted as saying,
“In every block of marble, I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.”
Stone sculptors can broadly be categorized as either indirect stone carvers or direct stone carvers. An indirect carver typically makes a maquette from wax, clay, or papier-mâché, building up or paring down that material until their desired form is achieved. They then utilize various tools to measure and transfer those dimensions onto a block of rock. In contrast, a direct stone carver attacks the stone directly.
The direct artist might sketch or refer to an object for reference but they typically hold the image loosely in their mind. The transfer of that image onto a block of rock is typically not as precise but the direct technique allows for more freedom of expression in my opinion. I have forced myself to learn and use the specialized measuring instruments necessary for the indirect carving method. I was frustrated and found little pleasure from the process. As a direct carver I find freedom to explore the boundaries of my imagination.
Ultimately, sculpting is an art of subtraction, removing material to discover and expose the form within. Whether it be a statue of an icon, an abstract geometric form, or a stylized whimsical representation of one of nature’s wonders, stone sculptors ROCK!