Stormcarver
 
 
As I work with this piece, I am feeling like I am peeling away excess stone like a banana skin. I don’t know if that makes sense, but the way I have to carve this in order to preserve the horizontal curves of the outer petals while still giving enough material so that I will be able to create the body shape from the front underlying petal keeps inserting that image into my mind. Take a look at yesterday’s photos, then compare them to today’s and it may make sense. The peeling is just going slowly.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
J’s Alabaster Rose All images are the physical and intellectual property of Barbara Minnick, aka Stormcarver. Unauthorized use prohibited. I need to continue removing the excess from between the front exterior petals, then concentrate upon creating the curves of the body on the one underlying. While I am doing this, I have to keep in mind the petal heights and the dimensions of the rose itself. Also have to leave enough space at the bottom in order to create the leaves as planned. As this is a large piece, 3 inches long x just over 1.5 inches wide, it is more difficult to hang on to when applying pressure to carve. My fingers are protesting, so may have to move a bit slower, or take more breaks while working. The alternating hardness of the stone is making things interesting, as well. Carving in a line, the softer stone of course gives way easier, sometimes creating a dip which has to be fixed. Other areas of the stone are so hard that they are shiny after the knife passes, indicating much denser material. Believe it or not, the latter is much easier to carve, as it holds shape and takes direction much better than the softer or alternating areas. This one is definitely a challenge, and I am enjoying it. I just hope it comes out the way I see it, or a reasonable version thereof. It could conceivably be impossible to follow my design under the conditions of the stone.