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Process

Adding texture to a piece for Heide Maker's Market

I like to add texture to some of my sculptures to highlight certain areas or provide contrast to the smoothly sanded areas.  One of my favourite tools for this is the plaster rasp, which is great for shaping concave areas but also leaves an interesting grooved surface.
Using the plaster rasp to create a grooved texture
The plaster rasp in action. You can see the holes in the rasp, like a cheese grater.
Grooved texture created by the plaster rasp.

Demonstrating at MIFGS, March 2018

Picture
Demonstrating at MIFGS was great fun as usual, apart from getting rained out on Saturday morning.  What could be better than working with a group of other artists in such a beautiful setting and talking to people interested in sculpture?
During the show I got started on a couple of sculptures, including a development of the idea from the piece "Connections".  I have used geometric shapes similar to "Connections" but the front is not flat as it was in "Connections", giving the piece much more depth.  This simple change creates a piece which is quite different.  The photo below is still a work in progress.
Picture

Creating the piece "Connections"

This is a new sculpture created for an exhibition at Edrington in Berwick.  The inspiration was a photo of soap bubbles on the cover of my daughter's chemistry text book.  ​This piece is more geometric than my normal work but I think still has an organic feel.

​The process is similar for all of my limestone sculptures.  I don't always work from a drawing or create a maquette but they were useful in this case because the sculpture is quite tall (1.3m).   The maquette gives me confidence an idea will work and the proportions are correct before I start carving a large block.  The drawing, maquette and final sculpture are not exactly the same, as the design develops as it progresses.
Rough sketch and maquette (model)
Drawing shape on stone
Roughing out shape with the saw
Roughing out shape with axe
Shaping with chisel
Shaping with chisel and mallet
Shaping with a rasp
Finished piece in the garden at Edrington
Finished piece, reverse view

Creating the piece "Cascade" for Stony Creek Gallery, Daylesford

Roughing out the shape with a hatchet
Roughing out with a hatchet. The maquette, or model, for the piece is on the bench to the left.
Roughing out the shape with a saw
Shaping with a rasp
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  • Home
  • GALLERIES
    • Recent Sculptures
    • Earlier Sculptures
    • Process
  • About
    • About John
    • About Limestone
  • News
  • Workshops
  • Contact