A Love Affair With Stone

What does it take to carve stone?

When I first took up stone carving 14 years ago, it began simply as a curiosity. I remember those early days when my hands were learning how to hold a chisel, how to strike the stone with just the right angle and just the right amount of force to make even the smallest chip. It was humbling work. Stone does not yield easily.

Yet as those first chips became more fluid and the stone began to move beneath my tools, something extraordinary happened. A kind of magic took hold of me. I knew I had found something worthy of a lifetime of study, practice, and devotion. Stone carving became not just an artistic medium, but a calling.

Then there is the stone itself—the true muse.

Those of us who call ourselves "stone people" share a deep admiration for the beauty and character of stone. Each piece carries its own history, energy, color, and personality. There are countless varieties from which a sculptor may choose, and each offers unique possibilities for expression. As the carving progresses and the surface is refined and polished, hidden patterns, colors, and luminosity emerge. It is always thrilling. Sometimes it feels as though the stone, having been honored through hours of attention and care, finally reveals the beauty it has been holding for centuries.

With that revelation comes responsibility. The sculptor becomes a steward of the stone's potential.

Over time, a profound love develops for the material. Working with stone requires patience, discipline, control, and respect. Once a piece is removed, there is no putting it back. Every decision matters. The process becomes a dance between creative freedom and careful restraint.

It is also deeply physical work. My sculptures are carved outdoors, often beneath the intense Florida sun. Yet once I begin a piece, I am compelled to return to it day after day. There is a conversation that unfolds between artist and stone, and I feel called to stay with it until it says what it longs to say.

For me, carving is both methodical and intuitive. I rarely begin with a sketch. Instead, I listen. My role is not to impose an idea upon the stone, but to discover what wants to emerge from within it.

That journey of discovery is what continues to captivate me. Fourteen years later, I remain as enchanted by stone as I was the day I first picked up a chisel.

New Work-"Sands of Time" is now on display. Please stop in and say hello. 

Photos by Susan Jeffers