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Have you recently discovered a passion for stone sculpting and can not decide what to create first? Here are 5 suggestions for beginner projects to get you started.

1. A turtle: You can sculpt the shell with a head and forego the legs and tail and it will look fantastic.
2. Dice: These would be square with the dots on each side. This would help for getting straight edges and would be fun for you or your children to play with when they are completed.
3. A canoe: You (more…)

Every artist bent upon creating a beautiful object requires great materials with which to work. Musicians love great instruments, painters have favorite paint brushes, writers often become fixated upon their Civil War-era typewriters, and sculptors and stone masons are no exception. Choosing the right stone for sculpting is essential to the success of any project. Making the wrong choice can result in thousands of hours of wasted effort and vision, and can cost artists and their patrons considerably in (more…)

Once you have your plan, your supplies and safety gear it is time to pick a stone to use for sculpting. For beginning sculptures it is best to start with a smaller sized stones about 20lbs are less; however, if you are more experienced the size should reflect your artistic plan. Another variable to consider is the shape of the stone, traditionally square pieces are used; however, there are many people out there who break with tradition and use oblong or even circular pieces. When picking a shape (more…)

Stone sculpting is a time honored art that has survived thousands of years, and it is one that has its own set of tools, techniques and artistic drive. Finding the right set of tools is important because the work is time consuming, and tools make the work of art more approachable, and certainly more attainable. A ceramicist or painter or jewelsmith would never do any work without the proper tools; nor should a stone sculptor.

There are supply companies online that offer a great selection of tools for stone cutting. Dick Blick, as well as stonesculptorssupplies.com, offer (more…)