1) Greet your stone with an air of respect for the lessons and gifts it’s about to give you.
2) Spend time with it and look for any distinguishing characteristics, unique veining, or marks left by the millions of years it has been sitting in the ground just waiting for you.
3) Sketch, doodle, dream, repeat until you identify a direction. Not so much an end but the feeling you would like the sculpture to transmit.
4) Call upon your muses and begin. My favorite is the Beauty found in nature.
5) Work simultaneously on all sides of the stone creating movement and shape. Let your ideas evolve and watch them take shape.
6) Dance around the piece. Move way back and all around your sculpture frequently to expand your perspective.
7) If you get stuck be patient. The stone will give you clues to your next moves.
8) If you’re really stuck, leave and return. I usually wake up with the answer the next day.
9) Do not sign or finish the piece until you are completely satisfied. This may take some time. The texture is so important so working the stone’s surface is a top priority for me. It highlights its luminous quality.
10) Finish, sign, and send your piece out into the world with Love.
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