(More photos below)

Stone Sculpture by Borsheim

"Swan" Italian Alabaster (Black Granite Base) One of a Kind 17" H x 17" W x 11" D © 2001 Kelly Borsheim Private Collection (South Carolina)	(More photos below)

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[swan stone sculpture]

[alabaster sculpture] [Italian alabaster]

[swan stone sculpture]

This particular stone (Italian alabaster) has a beautiful translucency to it and is exceptionally lovely when it is lit from behind, such as light coming in from a window. In stone sculpture, the goal is often to show off the beauty of the stone and not so much the skills of the sculptor. That's also why I designed this piece with the thin section of stone connecting the neck with the body. A hole would have been nice to, but would not have displayed the stone as well.

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Swan Sculpture: Sculpting in Stone

Carve \'kärv\ verb 1: to cut with care or precision

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by Kelly Borsheim © 2001

While exhibiting in Loveland, Colorado, in August 2000, I met a man who carved a beautifully translucent stone called Italian Alabaster. He also sold some from a trailer in the show parking lot. I bought the following stone and fell in love with it as it sat on the floor beneath my feet during the ride home (um, my husband was driving). This piece was 122 pounds when I bought it.

May 25, 2001: It has been almost a year since I took this stone home with me. I want to get as much height out of the rock as I can. I also love "punching" holes in this hard medium. And I want to show off the see-through quality of this piece, which to me means having some thin parts. I also see a shapely "C" curve in the stone. A swan's arching neck comes to mind. I have been thinking about it for months. Tomorrow, I start the work.

carving stone

In the above photos, you may see the stone from different angles. Also, I am getting braver with my carving. I used to be so afraid of ruining the stone that I took forever to get the basic shape cut. I have a better understanding now (of myself and the stone) and have started to take off larger pieces at a time where needed. I do not doubt there are easier ways to do this, but my tools are limited, so I use a 7-inch grinder with a masonry bit to score the stone (still erring on the cautious side and not cutting too deep). I then use a drill with a long masonry bit to reach deeper into the stone and help guide where I wish it to break when the time comes. Next I take my (single) points and hammer and place them along some of the lines I have cut. After several swings, the stone falls away. It is my hope that I can sculpt something out of this smaller piece as well.

The swan has begun (at least I see it).

In this detail shot, I was hoping you could get an idea of the light that will come through this stone. Unfortunately, the white parts are bruised stone (tool marks), the yellow is the translucent part. But you will see more of the light as the shape emerges and polishing is completed.

[alabaster sculpture] [Italian alabaster]

July 18, 2001: I took a break from working on the swan while my mother and 2 sisters came to visit for a while. When I was giving the "tour" of my latest projects to my mom, I showed her the swan and explained that I chose the swan as the subject in order to show off the beautiful translucency of the stone. She suggested that I leave a thin sliver of stone under the neck instead of creating the hole that I had envisioned. After I started back to work on this sculpture, I decided she had a good point and it was fun to design for this feature. Thanks, Mom! In the photo to the right, you can see how I am changing the head -- making it a little smaller (although it is still too large to be proportional). This changes the overall outer shape of the stone and, in my mind, makes the shape more interesting.

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[Borsheim Arts Studio]

Kelly Borsheim
Borsheim Arts Studio
P. O. Box 340
Cedar Creek, Texas 78612
(512) 303-3929