Paul McCARL Stone Sculptures
A Walk in my shoes - The beginning… Here is a progress report from Start to Finish and
where I am now.
It all started with parental influence, encouragement and
patience when as a child I was introduced to and later immersed in sketching, painting,
drawing and carving wood. My first stone sculpture was created some 25 years ago. I had reached down to collect a small stream
side stone from the Skagit river near Hope, British
Columbia. This little four and a half inch stone caught my eye as it lay along the bottom of the river looking like a small minnow. It later consumed some sixteen hours of my time as I ground it with files and power bits with my tiny Dremel woodworking tools all the time encouraging the small fish which I had envisioned to emerge from the stone.
Carving with power tools
All of the stone carvings begin with a removal of the outside layer and then some stock removal as the rock is cut with the aid of diamond saws and then chipped away at with hammer and chisel. Once the rough shape of the carving has been produced a secondary step of grinding with high speed diamond carving bits is engaged. Once the final shape of the carving has been determined, the power tools are put away and the piece is filed by hand as diamond files and later diamond hand pads, smooth the surface, remove tool marks and finish the surface area to create a soft and silky sculpture.
All of the stone carvings begin with a removal of the outside layer and then some stock removal as the rock is cut with the aid of diamond saws and then chipped away at with hammer and chisel. Once the rough shape of the carving has been produced a secondary step of grinding with high speed diamond carving bits is engaged. Once the final shape of the carving has been determined, the power tools are put away and the piece is filed by hand as diamond files and later diamond hand pads, smooth the surface, remove tool marks and finish the surface area to create a soft and silky sculpture.
Carving with power tools
High speed die grinders and rotary power tools with a variety of diamond grinding bits are used to detail the sculpture. Carving stone needs to be exact and it is not like getting dressed in the morning. What you take off the rock can never be put back on! A lack of patience or attention can quickly turn a stone carving into a pile of dust.
Once the rough carving's shape has been defined, about a third of the sculpting process is complete. Next comes the filing and sanding ... yes with diamonds and lots and lots of elbow grease!
High speed die grinders and rotary power tools with a variety of diamond grinding bits are used to detail the sculpture. Carving stone needs to be exact and it is not like getting dressed in the morning. What you take off the rock can never be put back on! A lack of patience or attention can quickly turn a stone carving into a pile of dust.
Once the rough carving's shape has been defined, about a third of the sculpting process is complete. Next comes the filing and sanding ... yes with diamonds and lots and lots of elbow grease!
The Present... I am working on what was once a 12 ton glacial boulder and is now a 9 ton granite bear that to date has consumed over 1200 hours of labor. It is close to being finished. I am sure that both the huge stone and I are each feeling the effects of the long hours and welcoming the thought of near completion, as I engage in the final grooming and cutting of hair into the rock after-which the eye lids will be undercut, ears redefined and the muzzle accentuated.
Call it "Old World Craftsmanship, Professionalism and Integrity.
During my lifetime I have created many small pieces in a variety of mediums and over the past 25 years have worked mostly in stone. I have volunteered my time and efforts towards accomplishing a variety of goals, I have challenged my abilities, sharpened my skills and I have grown to be a more patient and better person and a skilled stone sculptor. I have taken river boulders and turned them into cherished pieces of art and I have also created a very individual and personalized grave marker for family friends. I have completed over 178 stone sculptures, encouraged and helped other individuals to engage stone carving as a hobby and to explore or develop their artistic inner person. I have provided instruction and taught stone carving techniques to individuals as well to groups in classroom settings. My carvings have been seen on TV, featured in movies and although many have become coveted possessions in fine art collectors exhibits, many have also found their way into private homes and commercial offices where they can be enjoyed by greater numbers of people.
When not quarrying or carving a stone, I spend a considerable amount of time researching and planning new projects for myself, meeting with other artists and attending group functions such as are common place activities at local Art Galleries or the Chilliwack Visual Arts Association. I volunteer a significant amount of my time towards encouraging, lending assistance and benefiting other artists in the pursuit of displaying and promoting their art.
Since the beginning of my adventure with carving stone, I have created items that I visualized and over the years have taken on many commission pieces and custom orders. I have always found myself driven to provide superior workmanship in natural stone. I willingly engage challenging and complicated carving projects. I always provide estimates of the final products cost and I maintain a log of my hours and expenses so as to apply a fair market evaluation of the finished sculptures value. I very seldom take deposits unless for the acquisition of a specialty stone or for a very unique carving. I always guarantee a finished product that will satisfy my clients. There are various levels of appreciation for three dimensional art and my thoughts are either “love it or leave it” because you need to be completely satisfied and you won’t hurt my feelings or my pocketbook.
During my lifetime I have created many small pieces in a variety of mediums and over the past 25 years have worked mostly in stone. I have volunteered my time and efforts towards accomplishing a variety of goals, I have challenged my abilities, sharpened my skills and I have grown to be a more patient and better person and a skilled stone sculptor. I have taken river boulders and turned them into cherished pieces of art and I have also created a very individual and personalized grave marker for family friends. I have completed over 178 stone sculptures, encouraged and helped other individuals to engage stone carving as a hobby and to explore or develop their artistic inner person. I have provided instruction and taught stone carving techniques to individuals as well to groups in classroom settings. My carvings have been seen on TV, featured in movies and although many have become coveted possessions in fine art collectors exhibits, many have also found their way into private homes and commercial offices where they can be enjoyed by greater numbers of people.
When not quarrying or carving a stone, I spend a considerable amount of time researching and planning new projects for myself, meeting with other artists and attending group functions such as are common place activities at local Art Galleries or the Chilliwack Visual Arts Association. I volunteer a significant amount of my time towards encouraging, lending assistance and benefiting other artists in the pursuit of displaying and promoting their art.
Since the beginning of my adventure with carving stone, I have created items that I visualized and over the years have taken on many commission pieces and custom orders. I have always found myself driven to provide superior workmanship in natural stone. I willingly engage challenging and complicated carving projects. I always provide estimates of the final products cost and I maintain a log of my hours and expenses so as to apply a fair market evaluation of the finished sculptures value. I very seldom take deposits unless for the acquisition of a specialty stone or for a very unique carving. I always guarantee a finished product that will satisfy my clients. There are various levels of appreciation for three dimensional art and my thoughts are either “love it or leave it” because you need to be completely satisfied and you won’t hurt my feelings or my pocketbook.