This 5 day workshop is designed for those with a good knowledge of carving with power tools, both electric and pneumatic, but who wish to gain more in-depth tips and tricks. It is a combination of instruction in hand held power tools and introduction to a stationary bench grinder tool.
Learning to use this stationary bench grinder will allow you to carve very hard stone and create small scale, easily marketed original stone sculptures. You will alternate mornings and afternoons between this machine and your larger worktable sculpture.
On the bench grinder, you will begin by carving one of the most simple shapes in nature – an egg! Why an egg? This shape has only convex curves and the exercise will train your hand-eye co-ordination for balance and symmetry in composition. You will use granite as your medium for the task to carve a live-size chicken or duck egg. For the hand held power tools portion, you can begin a new sculpture, or bring an existing project.
Class size will be limited to 2 people so that Michael can give adequate individual attention.
Your goal is to be comfortable using a stationary bench grinder and to gain deeper knowledge of hand held power tools. We advise that you come to your workshop dressed for the part – clothes that you are comfortable getting dirty and dusty in!
What’s Included
- work table
- 2 sandbags
- 1/2 cubic foot (approx.) your choice of marble or granite
- small piece of granite for your egg sculpture
- use of angle grinders
- use of pneumatic hammers and chisels
- use of die grinders and points
- sanding cloth
- use of rasps and rifflers
- fatigue mat for standing on
- use of the stationary bench grinder
What To Bring
- Mandatory – safety glasses, dust mask or respirator, ear protection, long hair protection, closed toe footwear, clothes to get dusty in
- Suggested – thin work gloves, rubber rain suit (pant and jacket), rubber boots
Daily Schedule
Morning: Safety talk, technical aspects of power tools and safe use, choose your material for your work table sculpture, conceptualize your composition, begin to carve your sculpture.
Afternoon: Introduction to the stationary bench grinder and begin to carve your granite egg.
Morning: Power tool maintenance, stone geology, deal with tricky carving situations, carving time.
Afternoon: Focus on your detailed questions and concerns for your worktable project, carving time.
Morning: Use of power tools to sand and smooth your sculpture, composition critique, tips for future compositions, general sculpture composition discussion.
Afternoon: Carving time.
Morning: Brief history of stone sculpture over the centuries, new technologies to explore, carving time.
Afternoon: Carving time.
Morning: Marketing discussion – how to sell the sculptures you make. Carving time.
Afternoon: Carving time and clean up.
Cost
- $1,100.00 Canadian + GST
Dates
- May 20 – 24, 2024