Alabaster Lily, cont’d.

This piece has gone fairly quickly so far, but with much wear-and-tear on my hands/arms. The stone itself is much easier to carve than the pipestone because of it being a bit softer and wanting to take shape with more agreeability. It is much more porous, however, so tends to grab the knife edge as I carve, so requiring more and shorter strokes to do the same job. Also, this piece is bigger than most I usually do. Holding onto it firmly enough to carve is straining different muscles than I normally use.

I didn’t get to carve at all on Wednesday. Due to some issues, I ended up having to rearrange the website, and tried storing it and uploading from my pc. No way is that happening. Something about the pc and my host don’t seem to agree about what files go where, regardless of the ftp program I use.

Below are this morning’s pics of the Lily.

Friday, April 14, 2006

I so wish this stone translated better in pics! You can almost see how the sun comes through it here, but really, the effect is much more dramatic in person. Gods, but I love this stone.

Since this has become a freehand project, body shape is going to be interesting to do. I have a couple pics up on the pc screen for reference, but this one doesn’t seem to want to follow the norm. It may end up a bit stylized compared to real lilies. Sometimes stone is just stubborn about what it wants.

I have to cut a couple thin strips of the crystal alabaster and experiment with color. I picked up a tube of watercolor and a translucent stain for glass to try out. Also got a glossy varnish used for ceramics, tile and stone to experiment with. I won’t have the problem of tiny crevices for the sealant to get stuck permanently in like with the roses, so wanted to see what alternatives there are for finishes. I found out that I cannot get the liquid wax I use anymore, so am going to have to explore said alternatives.

Don’t know how much I will accomplish today. The kids are home for the holiday weekend, and am trying to get them ready to head out with their grandparents this afternoon.

J has made reservations at a great restaurant in Gainesville this evening, which, while fantastic, also cuts down carving time. (Not that I would trade time with J for carving. :) )