Artist's Statement: The Human Figure in Stone
The beauty of stone is its weight, age and feel. It has gravitas, durability and strength. Working in stone is a challenge. There is a certain amount of trepidation when stepping up to the stone and beginning, It can be unforgiving if the chisel is misjudged, and mistakes are hard to rectify. I have to be constantly focused and always making judgements.
Yet despite the fact that the work is created by hitting the stone with a hammer and chisel in a series of continuous mini explosions the stone can be shaped into quite accurate and fine forms and this resistance brings its own satisfaction as a shape is brought to life.
I work mainly from the human figure as I am always delighted by the thousand different nuances of movement and expression, I enjoy the challenge of bringing an object of beauty and transposing its perfect lines, its flow and softness to this material.