Stone carving is one of the oldest, most versatile and traditional crafts. The fascination with shaping a stone is as old as mankind itself. Once you get a feel for the stone’s properties and processing techniques, you have every opportunity to use your own creativity. The most breathtaking stone sculptures mainly come about through a combination of basic knowledge and the sequence of certain working steps. In this course, you learn this basic knowledge and the systematic processing of a stone. You will find that you are capable of more than you might expect.
What will you be doing?
The emphasis is on the technique of ‘German Bauhütten’: working with traditional tools and transfer options. We will start with an introduction to three-dimensional working and you will learn how to hold the tools correctly. This will help you decide how much material to chisel off in one go. As a first exercise, you will make a round sculpture from limestone, which will give you a feel for the stone and introduce you to the sequence of working steps.
After you complete the first sculpture, there are many other possibilities to work with the stone, such as reliefs, profile pieces, tracery/mesh work and lettering techniques. Initially you will work with limestone, but later you can also work with marble, Belgian bluestone or travertine. In addition, for inspiration, you will be introduced to different stonemasons every week. The teacher will give you tips and tricks, as well as personal guidance and practical support. After a while, all techniques will seep into your muscle memory. Then you can freely use all techniques to realise all your creative ideas.
“Getting to learn an exciting new skill I would have never picked up otherwise – a perfect distraction from my studies.”
– Course participant (season 2023-2024/block 1)
“I look forward to this moment every week. It’s better than an evening of Netflix at home.”
– Course participant (season 2024-2025/block3)
