by Rachell Jarvis
The 29th Annual Oregon State Stone Carving Symposium brought together a great group of carvers, friends and fun! After missing out in 2023 due to hazardous smoke levels, we were grateful for fair weather. Hot days and cool evenings, perfect for an afternoon dip and dust off in Suttle Lake. This year was the first year of the NWSSA Med Tent on the field where we had a fully stocked first-aid station and two members who were CPR/First Aid trained, but thankfully only band-aids and ibuprofen were administered.
M.J. Anderson was our overly qualified instructor of the beginner’s dojo. Anyone who knows M.J. is aware that her experience is beyond just technique and craftsmanship, but into concept, composition and form. She was able to get our newbies hand carving on the first day and in the tent making stone dust with power tools by day two. She donated stones for people to carve, including a piece of Carrara Marble for teen crew Sammy Imonen to work on their largest project yet, an owl in flight.
A great addition to the week of demonstrations was the slate carving workshop, An Exercise in Relief Carving, led by John Thompson of Missoula, Montana. He provided the stone, which he sourced from old pool tables off the internet.
An NWSSA vet, Dave Haslett, posted up on the corner of the field providing demonstrations on tool use and technique allowing participants to test out the tool on his granite sculpture that was still in process. In addition to touching on tool care/maintenance, he highlighted the use of enlarged French Curves, a tool he uses in the design and layout of his works. He also walked through using a triangular gantry to re-position his 600-800 lb sculpture upright.
We were fortunate to have Mitsuo Saiki with us, a third generation Buddha carver from Japan who informed us that three generations is, in fact, not a very long time in Japan. His expertise and advice were greatly appreciated by all participants, especially those in his Buddha carving workshop. He presented his modern public works as well as stories and perspectives on working with new and historic Buddha carvings. Mitsuo led morning stretches, shared in conversation and smiles and serenaded with his guitar most evenings. He finished his presentation by talking about an annual exhibition he helps coordinate in Japan. He encouraged everyone to apply to this opportunity to present their work internationally. Nakanojo Biennale
It is a team effort to put together a week of features and festivities. Shout out to everyone in the community who contributed to make it such a great week and we hope all who participated enjoyed themselves! Can’t wait to see you all next summer!
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