Soapstone Sculpture

Early in my career I carved in wood and

later while living in Rhode Island I carved in granite which I found along the shore of the ocean. This year I returned to carving with a new medium soapstone.

The process is rewarding ,yet time consuming.

The oldest soapstone carvings date back more than

3000 years ago. The Ming Dynasty saw the height of

soapstone carving. From China the medium spread to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Inuit artists originally carved in whale bone. From 1940 -1950 soapstone became a popular medium and was encouraged by the Hudson Bay Company and the Canadian government.

I mentioned above that the carving process is time consuming. This is most evident in the final stages of the process. Files are used to remove and

sculpt the artwork. Sandpaper is used in the final stages starting with

80 grit and gradually through many

stages ending up at 320 grit or finer.

At each stage in the process the image is refined and adjusted.