Stormcarver
 
 
Thinning and shaping the petals was the mission yesterday. I started with the top set, as physics and my luck say that if I started with the bottom set, the resulting less-than-stable base to hold for carving would result in crushed stone and major frustration. As it was, finding spots and positions in which to hold this while carving was a real challenge. The top petal sticking away from the main body was hard to avoid, and a lot of pressure during a knife stroke would break it off. I got the underside material removed from the top set of petals, leaving them thicker than I normally would for the sake of stability. Next, I worked to put in the rolls and folds on the edges of each petal.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Gladiola Experiment, cont’d. All images are the physical and intellectual property of Barbara Minnick, aka Stormcarver. Unauthorized use prohibited. Matching those rolls and folds was the next step, shaping the underside of the petals as I went. I left the petals thicker than I normally would so that the risk of breakage was minimized. The layered placement of the petals helps with the stability, also. Slowly and carefully, I then began shaping the bottom tier of petals. This is where things get dicey. Having to brace on the top while carving the bottom could have been disastrous if I wasn’t constantly aware of the placement of my fingers in relation to both the petals and the knife. As it was, I managed to slip with the blade at the beginning and took off a corner of one of the top petals. It was fixable, but told me a lot about how I would have to proceed. I removed the excess from the bottom petals and worked out how they would wrap around each other on the bottom cone. As this is an experiment, I did not include all of the bottom cone. Keep in mind also that this project is carved from a scrap piece of stone and I was constrained to its shape and size. Matching the underside shape to the tops of the petals was an interesting proposition. I was contorting to keep from breaking the top tier, then to put pressure on the lower correctly as they were thinned. Top and bottom curves have to be congruent in shape and thickness while curving correctly to the bottom cone. Somehow, over about 8 hours, I managed it. I am a real masochist, by the way. The whole time I was working on the bottom tier, I was thinking that I would never carve another of these unless they are specifically requested. Looking at what I have now, though, I am kind of amazed that I have managed to do this and may want to see what all I can do with this flower and its many incarnations. I have the rolls and folds of the bottom tier to do yet, and the further thinning of the petals. If this piece lives through that, I am thinking that I will add color on the edges before it’s sealed. I will mull this and the options over as I work today.