I am often asked how I decide what to produce from a certain stone, or even how do I decide which stone to choose for a particular sculpture. I often consider a similar question one might ask a painter - what do you see in a blank canvas? With stone, the material itself provides many leads - the color of the stone, the  patterns in the stone, the shape, size, and material.

 

Some stones like Italian marble are beautiful carving stones, among the best in the world. The stone is opaque, has an even consistency without flaws or fracture planes. You can strike it with a mallet and chisel and control the cut you will produce. Other stones, like many onyxes, are translucent and if you strike them you might leave an internal scar that becomes visible and spoils the appearance of the stone. As Michaelangelo said centuries ago, the final form already exists in the untouched stone and the work of the sculptor is to reveal it.