Stone Portrait

Life-sized stone portrait.

In 1991 I was asked to carve a stone portrait of the owner of a Kentucky coal mine. He came to North Carolina and I made a clay sketch from life and took photographs to work from.

This portrait sculpture was carved with hand chisels and rasps. It was made life-sized in Black Alberene soapstone from Schuyler, VA.

Below are photos of the carving process.

In the Studio - How the Artwork Was Made

The original block of Black Alberene soapstone.

Feathers and wedges used to split off large chunks. — Using feathers and wedges to split off large chunks.

Initial carving with heavy point chisel. — Initial roughing out with a heavy point chisel.

Preliminary blocking out of face. — The shape of the head begins to emerge.

Head begins to be defined. — Beginning to define the face.

Further refining with toothed chisels. — Further refinement and work with toothed chisels.

Continued refining. — Further refinement and work with toothed chisels.

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Stone Portrait

In the Studio - How the Artwork Was Made

Not planning to go the way of the mammoth, are you?

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