Terry’s Tips V There are lots of types, sizes, colors, and opinions. Some people like to throw them: at birds, cats, skip them across ponds, or just collect them. V We sculptors impose additional machinations on them to make them our own. We can make them into human figures (full/partial, posed/ abstract or clad/nude). Or […]
There are five to six inches of storage space under your car. Try the color enhancer on a scrap of your stone or where it won’t show on the finished piece. Tuck in loose straps and ropes when using a hand cart. Don’t rest a piece on a patterned oily rag. Take my word […]
Here’s a toast to all the trekkers who travel the world seeking trails tromped smooth or rutted by thousands of tourists. My wife Leigh and I booked a 14-day Mediterranean cruise with a week to get acclimated in Cambridge, England, at her son John and daughter-in-law’s home. My first observed stones were in John’s driveway: […]
There are 5 to 6 inches of storage space under your car. Try the color enhancer on a scrap or where it won’t show on a finished piece. Tuck loose straps and ropes in when using a hand cart. Don’t rest a piece on a patterned oily rag. Minesweeper game: do you postpone decisions […]
Plan ahead when moving a sculpture, even during creation. Destination space prepared? Clearances OK? Power cords and hoses out of the way? Inventory your tool boxes in case of loss/theft. It also presents an opportunity to become reacquainted with forgotten tools. I notice glass vases are popular glass art forms. Why not for stone? […]
Clean alabaster dust from your rasps and files. It attracts moisture: your tools can rust in the toolbox. Cloth sandbags can retain small particles that can aggravate final polishing efforts. Put them in plastic bags when polishing. When pushing or pulling a tool, make sure it has a safe place to go when the chip […]
Use a level of lighting to suit the stage of sculpting. Don’t polish in dim light and show it off with display spotlights. Veins and small cracks won’t sand out no matter how hard you try. Different can be better, even on the same stone. It’s an attention-getter. A stone’s grain or pattern can cause […]
The bottom part of my hand truck is hardly big enough to hold a rock. So I cut a piece of plywood to lay on top with notches to fit around the side braces, and clamp it down with a small c-clamp. It can be stored vertically and secured with a bungee cord. I […]
I keep thinking I’ll run out of ideas for this column, but so far it hasn’t happened. If you use felt for the bottom of your pieces, don’t use household cement unless you invert the sculpture until it dries. The glue may wick through the felt before it’s dry and onto your nice varnished coffee […]
Cans of compressed air, like for computer dusting, are a good solution for cleaning surfaces prior to waxing or gluing, or cleaning out holes. Keep your powered sander or polisher moving: overheating the stone can cause an aggravating milky effect in it. The sandblasting class last year at Silver Falls by Lisa Ponder came in […]
AUCTION! The very sound of the word conjures up thoughts and memories of exciting times. Coupled with a group of stone sculptors composed of both longtime friends and newcomers, and their various idiosyncrasies, a wonderful, exciting, and hilarious event occurs. Steve Sandry and Brian Berman shared auctioneer duties, assisted by various spotters to identify bidders’ […]
Sandstone has been a reliable utility stone throughout the centuries. Many cities, both ancient and modem, take advantage of its fine qualities. It is easy to quarry, found throughout the world, is relatively easy to shape and carve, and resists erosion in most climates. While it is limited in colors, it is commonly uniform, compared […]
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