"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it."
Michelangelo
Michelangelo
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As most of the stone Zoe uses are reclaimed from restoration sites or selected off-cuts from quarries, all of which would otherwise have gone to waste, the first phase of the design process is stone selection.
The raw stone is inspected to check its quality, texture and suitability for carving. The stone often has its own story to tell - its natural formation and rough edges can give hints and suggestions of the sculptures hidden within. Many sculptors work this process in reverse, designing first and then selecting stone to fit their needs. Zoe's approach listens more closely to the stone and is a more collaborative process - if stone can be collaborative!
Simple pencil sketches are then created and the outline marked on to the rough stone. Zoe often makes a clay maquette at this stage to help with the three dimensional visualisation and then carving begins.
First the design is roughed out with a heavy duty pitcher to remove the excess stone, followed by a claw chisel to reveal the basic form. A smaller flat faced chisel is then used to refine the details of the sculpture and final phase uses a selection of files, rifflers and sandpapers to smooth the stone to a fine finish.
The raw stone is inspected to check its quality, texture and suitability for carving. The stone often has its own story to tell - its natural formation and rough edges can give hints and suggestions of the sculptures hidden within. Many sculptors work this process in reverse, designing first and then selecting stone to fit their needs. Zoe's approach listens more closely to the stone and is a more collaborative process - if stone can be collaborative!
Simple pencil sketches are then created and the outline marked on to the rough stone. Zoe often makes a clay maquette at this stage to help with the three dimensional visualisation and then carving begins.
First the design is roughed out with a heavy duty pitcher to remove the excess stone, followed by a claw chisel to reveal the basic form. A smaller flat faced chisel is then used to refine the details of the sculpture and final phase uses a selection of files, rifflers and sandpapers to smooth the stone to a fine finish.
