Listen to a Rock

Listen to a rock?

Who knows more about sculpting, me or a rock?

Of course, I thought I was the best choice, yet I was bested by a fist sized hunk of alabaster.  I’d taken a class in alabaster sculpting, and had some successful carvings finished. Since my daughter was coming for a visit, I decided to make a small carving for her, something easy, like a rabbit.

Happy with my decision, mallet, point, sandpaper, and files in hand, I rough shaped the rock to the rabbit design. Somehow, it never looked right, and I gave up in frustration. The day of my daughter’s arrival, I looked at the alabaster piece again, pondered some more, and suddenly realized . . . . .IT IS AN ELEPHANT.

Well, I’ve never seen a carving finish faster than that elephant. Apparently, the elephant was inside the rock just waiting to be set free. It was gift-ready within an hour and a half! That was more than 30 years ago, and paying attention to my handcrafted pieces’ small still voices works when designing anything.

Give it a try, and let me know what happens.