Abstract Stone Sculpture
Lyrical - white Persian onyx -
This piece of Persian onyx is one of my favorite sculpting stones ever, creamy white color with some subtle internal banding, and it polishes to an extremely fine finish. Many varieties of onyx are translucent, adding a whole dimension to the possible beautiful outcomes that can be achieved. I cut a sphere and then began playing with some convexities and some concavities, taking care to keep the walls thin and translucent.
After the Bath
Layers - banded Argentinian onyx
Argentinian banded onyx is a delight to work with - a range of colors from amber to yellow and green, with purple crystals often along an edge. This piece was carved from the choicest inner layers to maximize the intense colors and brilliance. The owner added an airplant to the top to further accentuate the greens.
After the Bath - orange calcite
After I completed this piece, a friend of mine - an art gallery owner - told me it reminded her of a Degas painting of one of his models bending over a tub to dry her hair. I definitely could see the similarities, and so she became "After the Bath" !
Layers
Esmeralda - Esmeralda onyx
This onyx though not translucent, has the most amazing range of colors, from black to cream, green, blue and amber. It is an attention grabber in any surrounding. The stone has a soft, feminine appearance so I carved soft, feminine shapes.
Esmeralda
Woman as a Vessel -
Black Belgian marble is described as the blackest stone on earth. Whether or not this is true, it does reach a highly glossy finish and a very dark color when sanded to an ultra fine finish.
I was influenced by seeing a photo of a black stone vase, that was very feminine in its curves. I carved this piece to accentuate those soft, sensual curves.
Woman as a Vessel
Dragon Lady Contrasts
Dragon Lady - Ming Green marble
A beautiful green marble from China, as I started carving abstract curves, it seemed to me that from one side the sculpture resembles a cobra and from the other, the figure of a beautiful woman. This reminded me of the legend of the last Chinese empress who started as a concubine, but through her shrewd intelligence worked her way up to be the final Empress of the Qing dynasty.
Contrasts - antigua verde marble
Like many darkly colored stones, with sanding and polishing this stone transforms from having muted colors to vibrant ones - blacks, greens, and whites. I carved a piece with many smooth curves, polishing some areas to contrast with the less sanded areas.
Geode Implode Round World in a Cuboidal Universe
Geode Implode - Argentinian banded onyx
Unlike Layers (above) where I removed the purple crystal layer, here I preserved it. I gave myself the challenge of carving a sphere inside a cube. This is a challenge to perform given the limited access of small windows in the outer layer. In the end, it reminded me of a geode in reverse - with the crystal formations on the outside.
Round World in a Cuboidal Universe -
French Campan marble - This is the first piece that I carved from this beautiful stone.
With so many fine lines running in different directions, I wanted to carve rounded forms that would show off these intricate patterns from different angles. So, once again I carved a sphere within a cube shape.