This 5 day workshop is designed for the individual with absolutely no previous experience carving stone. Binkley will guide you through the process of carving a soft stone, using only hand tools to complete your very first stone sculpture.
Workshop class size will be a maximum of 4 people to ensure Michael gives each individual proper attention. We advise that you come to your workshop dressed for the part – clothes that you are comfortable getting dirty and dusty in!
Beginning with a mandatory safety talk, you will be introduced to the ancient techniques of hammer and chisel in a working stone sculpture studio. You will have your own work table, a small block of stone and set of tools to work with. You will have a choice of limestone or alabaster to plan and create a sculpture. Instruction to include hammer, chisel, files and rifflers and sanding pads to finish. Your goal is to leave with a completed, flat bottomed sculpture, however if you do not finish your piece by course end, you will have enough knowledge to finish your sculpture on your own, (after you leave.)
Bring your creativity and enthusiasm and let’s make dust!
What’s Included
- work table
- 2 sandbags
- 1/2 cubic foot (approx.) your choice of either limestone or alabaster
- use of 2 lb hammer
- use of point chisel, 3 tooth and 4 tooth rake chisel, narrow and wide flat chisel
- use of rasps & rifflers
- sanding cloth
- fatigue mat for standing on
What To Bring
- mandatory – safety glasses, closed steel toe footwear, clothes to get dusty in
- suggested – paper dust mask or respirator, hair protection, thin work gloves, ear protection
Daily Schedule
Morning: Safety talk, technical aspects of hand tools, choose your material, conceptualize your composition.
Afternoon: Begin your sculpture.
Morning: Tool maintenance, stone geology, deal with tricky carving situations, carving time.
Afternoon: Carving time.
Morning: Use of files and rifflers to smooth your sculpture, composition critique and discussion on tips for future compositions, carving time.
Afternoon: Carving time.
Morning: Brief history of stone sculpture over the centuries, carving time.
Afternoon: Carving time.
Morning: Carving time.
Afternoon: Carving time and clean up.
Cost
- $950.00 Canadian + GST
Dates
- May 6 – 10, 2024