Soapstone Carving

The act of stone carving is a primitive one. A different part of the mind rises up, the part that exists in a dark cave. Its an energetic process, filing away, and when you step away - leaving dusty white footprints away from where you were sitting - your head will be light with endorphins. There will be a white cloud of dust emitting outward from where you were carving, like nuclear fallout, settling on all surfaces, including the fruit bowl.

I made these carvings to help me connect with myself, weighty comforts - they are sacred objects, which I do not display but wrap carefully in calico and keep in a box. I have gathered similar items on pinterest.

The soapstone is smooth to touch and warms quickly in the hand, though the small cuts on my hands from over shooting the mark are sore. When the shape is correct, I use different grades of sandpaper including wet and dry to smooth the surface, then rub them with olive oil to bring out the glow of the stone.