In defense of my vice:

My favorite vice is stone carving. Is it crazy, or is there a logic to this vice? Only time will tell... I have had many vices in the past, but this is my current love and it has been with me for quite a few years and will continue to be with me for many more years...

My vice is stone carving. It is a vice in that I would rather be carving than doing anything else. I love the sound that the stone makes when being struck by the chisel and hammer. It sounds like when struck properly, the stone is singing. The more I can get the stone to sing, the more I love to carve.



Once the stone starts singing, I have a clear picture what is inside and it is now only a matter of clearing away all that excess stuff to let the true sculpture in the stone come out. It gives me so much pleasure to free the creature from inside the stone.



When I am in the middle of a carving, it is odd because others cannot see what I see in the stone. Many times people will come by and ask what I am carving, when to me it is obvious. I sometimes keep a lump of clay near so that I can either shape in the clay what is in the stone, or I can point to the already modeled clay so that all those who cannot see will understand what I am doing.



I find it humorous that people cannot see what I do. What I see in stones is similar to when you look at clouds and describe shapes in the cloud formations. If people can look at clouds and see shapes, why can't they see that in the stones? All the same, if everyone could see the shapes inside the stone, then there would be too many stone carvers out there and I would have a hard time finding that perfect stone with that perfect shape inside. Many of my friends think my vice is strange, but it gives me so much pleasure.



Another wonderful aspect of this vice called stone carving is that after a really bad day, I can sit in front of the stone, and start whacking away at it. I like to think of that type of carving as controlled breakage. Think of how much of a release it is if you could just break things after a frustrating day. I do respect the stone, even in my fits of controlled breakage. I keep un-carved pieces of stone just for days like that. Un-carved stone usually requires a LOT of controlled breakage before the shape that is within begins to emerge.



To me stones are alive and if you ask them nicely and politely, they will show you what is truly within. Hence my love of stone carving... With luck I will never quit and when I die, I will be with the stones again...