A New Carving Journey: The Evolution of an Idea

As a stone carver, there’s something uniquely satisfying about watching an idea develop over time. Sometimes, inspiration strikes suddenly, like a lightning bolt; other times, it quietly lingers in the background, waiting for the right moment to surface. For the past six months, I’ve been quietly formulating an idea for a new carving, and like many of my creative processes, it’s been a blend of active energy and moments of stillness, with ideas slowly growing into something exciting.

When I began carving geometric patterns, I started with flat wall-hung pieces. I loved the focus and precision, but eventually, I felt the need to push my work into three dimensions. That’s when I turned to spheres; round, smooth, and full of potential. Even now, I haven’t fully explored all the possibilities of carving spheres, but I wanted to keep pushing myself, keep trying new things, and so I felt it was time to move in a different direction again.

Enter the Disc

The natural progression, for me, seemed to be a simple, yet complex, disc. But I didn’t just want a flat object. I envisioned it free-standing, able to be walked around, studied from all angles, and appreciated in a way that invited movement and interaction. I also had a desire to explore scale more in my work. Initially, this new carving will be smaller, but I can already feel the potential to scale up dramatically in the future.

Interestingly, my new studio space has made this possible. The large double doors at my new place have opened  up creative possibilities in ways I hadn’t expected. In my old studio, I didn’t realise that the limited access was holding me back. Now, with easy access for pallet deliveries, I can see that bigger pieces are within reach.

The Journey Begins

I started gathering materials in October of last year, sourcing the stone I needed for this project. By November, the stone had arrived, and I had a 40cm disc in my hands, 4cm thick. It’s funny how a project often begins with a bit of guesswork. You don’t always know the exact dimensions you’ll need, but you have to go with an educated guess and trust that the piece will reveal itself as you go along. As with many creative processes, you can’t wait for the perfect idea to fully form, you have to start somewhere.

My initial sketch was focused on geometry, a pattern based around a central point, which I’ve used in previous works. But the real twist with this disc would be the ability to carve on both sides, the front and back, with patterns that connect across the two surfaces. It was both a challenge and an opportunity to push my skills to a new level.

Inspiration Strikes

I’m always inspired by many sources, and this new design is no different. One of the key influences for this project is the intricate tracery windows in traditional architecture, as well as the work of Barbara Hepworth, whose exploration of shapes, space, and holes in stone has always fascinated me. While I’m not trying to copy Hepworth’s work, I do believe there’s room for more exploration in the idea of piercing through stone.

For weeks, the idea sat with me, how could I connect two patterns, one on each side, and incorporate piercing? But last week, with a bit of a time crunch to get started, things finally began to click.

A Happy Accident

I was at the studio late one Wednesday evening, with just a few spare moments before home time. I wanted to figure out the best way to mark the centre of the stone as accurately as possible. I had an idea: what if I drew enough lines from one side to the other, and wherever they all crossed, that would give me the centre point? It didn’t quite work as planned, but it led to an interesting realisation, this wasn’t a failure at all. The lines, in their crisscrossing, reminded me of string art, a childhood pastime I’d almost forgotten about, where you hammer nails into a board and use string to create beautiful patterns.

This happy accident sent me down a Pinterest rabbit hole of string art designs, each more beautiful than the last. I saved the ones that resonated with me, knowing they would come back to me in time as part of my own creative process.

Problem Solving and New Discoveries

The next day, after finishing a commission, I returned to my stone and revisited the ideas I’d seen the night before. It’s always fascinating how carving allows your mind to wander. While your hands are focused on the physical task, your brain is often working through creative problems and ideas. In this case, I knew I wanted to translate the string art concepts into a larger scale, onto the surface of stone.

But there were challenges ahead. First, I needed to figure out how to mark ten evenly spaced points around the circumference of the disc. I teach a geometry technique in my beginner's class on how to draw a five-point star, so I knew the principles would be similar. After a bit of trial and error, I got the points marked, which was a small victory in itself!

Once I had the points, I faced the challenge of carving them into the stone. The Portland limestone I’m using is a beautiful material, but it’s not infinite in its capacity for detail. To make the design work, I had to adapt it. There are certain areas that need to be wide enough to allow for deep, V-shaped cuts—this is how I plan to carve the piercing through the stone. It’s a precise process, and I’m still working out how to pierce through without breaking the stone in unwanted ways. But that’s all part of the journey.

The Excitement of Creation

Despite the challenges, I’m excited about how this carving is coming together. The design is taking shape, and I’m confident that I’m on the right path. With each step, I discover something new about the material, the process, and myself as an artist.

This is just the beginning. There’s much more to figure out, but I’m embracing the unknown and seeing where it takes me. I’m excited to continue this voyage of discovery and share the progress with you all.

Come Back Next Week for the Next Chapter

I’ll be back next week with an update on how things are progressing. Stay tuned to see how the carving evolves and what new challenges (and hopefully solutions!) emerge along the way.

Thank you for following along on this journey. I hope it sparks some creative inspiration for you, too!