Test for Limestone or Marble

My cousin was here recently as he drove cross country...moving from Florida to California. Since he was a geologist in a "former" life it was fun to have him help me with some of my stones.

I confess I find stones that I think are pretty and I frequently don't know what they are! What kind of sculptor is that? Truth is, I'm more interested in how they carve and what they look like...but it is good to know what it is in case I like it and want to get more!

He told me that I can do a simple test to determine if my pieces are Limestone or Marble.

Take plain vinegar and place a drop on the stone. If it "fizzes" you have Limestone or Marble.

An alternate test is to, in place of the vinegar, use muriatic acid (you can get it from a swimming pool supply store.)

Sometimes with the limestone you have to have some stone powder rather than the solid rock...I'm not sure why, but I'm the carver cousin not the scientist!

Haven't tried it yet, but I have a couple rocks that I want to run the test on. It'll be interesting to see how it works out.

Back in the Studio

Having injured my shoulder (don't ask me how, because I don't know) I have not been able to be in the studio much for the past 6 months.

I've been busy with trips home to see my mother who was having some health issues...she seems to be pretty stable and accepting some help now, so that is good.

This week I have actually gotten in the studio twice! I am so happy.

Have a new little bird that I carved. Really I suppose it was more whittled since I'm not really up to hammer and chisel. Small piece of soft serpentine. Very easy to work.

I've done all the sanding, now I'm letting her dry. Then I'll see if I like what I've done or if I want to change any of the texture before I polish her and decide on her base.

Originally I had thought I would have a wall mounted piece as she is thin and really one sided. Now that she is done I'm thinking she would look great perched on a rock. I found a piece of igneous stone that would be a nice contrast. I'll have to think about that!

Arts As Important As Food

There is a Persian proverb that says:

If you have but two coins, use one for bread to feed the body and the other for hyacinths to feed the soul.

Beauty in all forms has long been known to promote health and happiness. This beauty may be in the form of flowers or man-made art, whether that be in the form of film, music, live performances, painting, poetry, or my personal favorite, sculpture.

According to researcher Dan Buettner in his latest book, Thrive,

Art, like flowers, nourishes the soul. Happy people usually have access to art...and live in places that are attractive to the eye. A city must provide venues for artists to create and exhibit their work...

One of the examples given in Thrive as a city doing a good job of this is the town of my alma mater, San Luis Obispo, California. It seems that students had good reasons for wanting to stick around this beautiful, inspiring, and art-nurturing city!

Loveland Sculpture Invitational Change in Schedule

This year there is a change in the schedule for the Loveland Sculpture Invitational...it appears it will not be open on Friday (which is a shame) but the good news is that if you want to see the fantastic works on Friday you can by attending the opening gala. Tickets are $25 for a pair and include wine, beer and food as well as the sneak preview of all the wonderful art.


You can get tickets at the website or at the door on Friday August 6th. The event runs from 4-8pm.

If we don't see you there, come on by on Saturday or Sunday. Admission to the show is still only $5. The show hours are 9:30am-6:00pm on Saturday and 9:30am-4:30pm on Sunday!

See ya!

Da Vinci Painted It All By Himself?

It has long been known that many of the great masters had teams of assistants who helped create the masterpieces we enjoy to this day. The assistants often had specialties...some might paint clouds, others rocks, etc.

Leonardo Da Vinci was no exception.

His painting, "Virgin of the Rocks" has long been thought to have been painted with a team of assistants. Recently the painting was cleaned and it is now believed that the master painted this one all by himself.

So if a team helped paint a masterpiece...does that make it any less masterful? If the "painter" is more or less a director does that make him any less a maestro? Is the ensemble method of art only valid in music and theater or large scale projects such as Christo's that would be physically impossible for a single person to accomplish?

These are interesting questions for artists and art lovers to ponder.

An artist is the visionary and the driving force to have the vision brought into reality.

Does that mean that perhaps the artist does not need to personally have any skill with brush, chisel or other tool?

After all, there are many artisans who have technical skills but lack the creative vision to bring something unique to life.

Perhaps the artist does have the skills necessary (as of course Da Vinci did) but lacks the time to breath life into all the visions that exist in his mind's eye. Thus using a team to bring the pieces forth benefits all...the artist, the team and the world.

I'd love to hear thoughts from other artists and art lovers on this...for example, if you bought an oil painting by a particular artist and learned that he or she didn't actually do all the painting on the canvas, would that matter to you? Would it have less value monetarily or spiritually for you?

If you'd to read more about the cleaning of the Da Vinci that insp, click here.

Finger Painting on iPad

This is an amazing demonstration of what a talented artist can do with latest technology.

The video is just under 8 minutes in length. Entire process took about 3 hours.

Now, how can I use the iPad to carve stone???

New Zealand Gallery Annual Sale

If you happen to be in New Zealand this month, be sure to stop by the Birdwoods Gallery in Hawkes Bay. They are having their annual sale so it is a great opportunity to buy some art to go with fine wine from the region.

Birdwoods has a nice collection of Shona stone sculpture along with metal pieces. In November 2009, Louise and Bruce converted an additional paddock into a beautiful sculpture walk with extensive olive tree plantings. Visitors follow a meandering mown path to view a further display of stone sculptures, as well as the life size metal giraffes and crocodiles. Sizes and prices range to fit every budget and suitcase (or shipping container.)

Birdwoods also has a Sweet Shop to tempt you as you stroll the garden...so literally they have something for every taste!

Birdwoods Gallery, Sculpture Garden and Sweet Shop Welcome to Birdwoods - a very special place in the heart of beautiful Hawke's Bay. Set in the countryside just 3km from Havelock North village, Birdwoods Gallery and its small companion, the Birdwoods Sweet Shop, are a 'must see' for all visitors and locals. Opened in February 2005 by Bruce and Louise Stobart, Birdwoods Gallery features sculpture and decorative arts from both local and African artists. The gallery's home is the original church hall from St Peter's in Waipawa dating from the late 1800’s which Bruce and Louise moved to its new home on Middle Road in 2004. The old hall has since been surrounded with a beautiful sculpture garden. Right next door to Birdwoods Gallery is the Birdwoods Sweet Shop, an old fashioned sweet shop 'just like you remember' housed in a charming one room colonial cottage made from reclaimed materials. Opened in December 2006, the cottage is a treasure trove of old fashioned sweets, lemonade, sherbet, fudge, ice creams and other novelties.