A Stone Rose

carved from Soapstone

Years ago someone had given me an 8" cube of Soapstone, suggesting that I try my hand at stone-cutting. Over the years I chipped away at the stone, and with much effort, and a few bent or dulled tools, was finally able to free a panel about 1" thick to work on.

From that 1" panel, I was barely able to cut this rose.

Stone is probably just the thing for some folks, given the right tools and temperament, but I personally found the stone very hard to work with and very unpredicable in it's qualities. Although I suppose it comes with experience. I found that I could't read stone the way I can wood, and plus it's much harder ! I still have 4/5's of the chunk of soapstone though, and so, being generally unwilling to waste materials, I suppose someday I'll make another go of it.

For now though, this is my sole stone carving.