I have worked with many different types of stone and each one has its own unique character and set of qualities that both challenge and excite me. When it's a new stone that I have not yet worked with, it feels like I'm meeting someone new. I want to be respectful, to take my time to get to know them, and remain open to what they are to teach me. If It's a stone that I have worked with in the past and we are more familiar, it's like spending time with an old friend that I have a better understanding of, yet I will never completely know them as there is always something new to discover.
There is so much that I love about the Atlantic black marble I used for my sculpture Beyond Illusion. The intensity of color gives it a mysterious and sumptuous feel. And the little white crescents that appear throughout create the most interesting patterns. In Beyond Illusions' case, numbers kept appearing. At one point I had the numbers 5, 6, and 7 clearly delineated. Six and Seven were removed to keep with my design but the number 5 can be clearly seen on the curve at the bottom right of the sculpture. When I'm looking at the sculpture together with someone I love to hear about what they see. I delight in hearing someone else's perspective because there is always something new for me to learn. Always another way of looking at the world that I am now aware of because we have come together.