There is nothing like a walk in the great outdoors to stimulate the senses, warm the soul and to provide motivation. Over the years I have grown to appreciate that every time I head out for a walk, hike or other outdoor excursion, although I may have visited the particular location numerous times, I know that if I am alert enough that I will be provided with an opportunity to find and appreciate something that is new. It is kind of like fishing or hunting in your favorite secret spot, each time you attend it is a different event and there will always be a new experience for you to enjoy.
Whenever I head out to search for stone I am frequently surprised by what I ultimately find in areas where I have been quarrying stone for many years. One wintery day a couple of years ago I was scouting along a stretch of the Coquihalla river looking for some jade for a commissioned piece of a new set of whales for a client in England. As I stood on top of a large boulder surveying the area around me for jade, I looked down at my feet and thought to myself... Is this a huge chunk of soapstone that I am standing on? I took out my rock hammer and tapped a side of the boulder and guess what, yes it was a several ton chunk of some BC marbled soapstone. I like to carve stones which I have collected but I do also find it very enjoyable to work with various types of stone other than the self quarried granite and jade. Working with good quality marble, alabaster and soapstone is always a special treat and the final sculpting results are usually as one would have expected.
Whenever I head out to search for stone I am frequently surprised by what I ultimately find in areas where I have been quarrying stone for many years. One wintery day a couple of years ago I was scouting along a stretch of the Coquihalla river looking for some jade for a commissioned piece of a new set of whales for a client in England. As I stood on top of a large boulder surveying the area around me for jade, I looked down at my feet and thought to myself... Is this a huge chunk of soapstone that I am standing on? I took out my rock hammer and tapped a side of the boulder and guess what, yes it was a several ton chunk of some BC marbled soapstone. I like to carve stones which I have collected but I do also find it very enjoyable to work with various types of stone other than the self quarried granite and jade. Working with good quality marble, alabaster and soapstone is always a special treat and the final sculpting results are usually as one would have expected.