As part of my research around Gothic Cathedrals, I wanted to experience stone carving.
I’ve also been interested in it since I read about the psychologist Carl Jung and his tower at Bollingen where he carved stones with various symbols and meaningful words. For more on Jungian psychology, check out my book, Writing the Shadow.
In mid-June, 2024, I attended a weekend course with Kate Semple at The Stone Carving Studio, near Radstock in Somerset. There were seven novice stone carvers, some who had carved before, but most completely new to the process. As a writer and photographer, I’d never used a hammer and chisel before, so it was a challenge from the outset.
After introductions and coffee, Kate set us each up at a ‘banker,’ a sturdy workbench used by stone carvers and masons to support stone while it is being worked on. They provide a solid and stable surface for the precise and often heavy work involved in stone carving, and vary in what they’re made of. Kate uses multiple blocks so she can adjust the height per person.
We all had to decide what we wanted to make, and either use a photo or sketch or use one of the sculptures in the yard as a model.
I chose a Green Man, often found in architectural carvings, particularly in medieval European churches and Gothic cathedrals. It’s a man’s face surrounded by or made from leaves, vines, or branches, and is a symbol of rebirth and the cycle of growth each spring.
The Green Man can be found in different cultures and time periods, often associated with natural deities or spirits, symbolising fertility, renewal, and the natural world. I find it interesting that this pagan fertility symbol is so often found in Christian places of worship, tying us back to older times when we lived closer to the earth.
Kate chose a block of stone from her yard for each person to match the shape of the design. Mine was a block of Maltese limestone. Then the work started!
For my Green Man, the tip of the nose was the only part that would remain of the top layer of stone, and the rest of the block needed to be carved away. You can see in the picture above that I drew the nose on, as well as some other features, but of course, it all disappeared pretty fast as I started to chip away.
We all wore safety glasses in case of chips, but it wasn’t very dusty so we didn’t need a mask. It was hard work, and I found that I was gripping hard, which made my hands hurt quickly. By lunchtime on the first day, I was pretty disheartened by my progress.
It felt like I was getting nowhere with so much further to go!
The tools shown are the punch, the pointed chisel used to break off large chunks of stone at the beginning of the process, and several sizes of claws with the grooved ends, and also a flat chisel for the shaping work.
Kate had many of her smaller works outside as reference which you can see outside the window in the picture below, along with various files for smaller carving sections and brushes to remove the excess stone.
By the end of the first day, the Green Man was taking shape, but I had to take some painkillers because my right hand (holding the mallet) was swollen. Just the unusual repetitive action, but still painful!
“Stone carving is easy – it’s the stone that’s hard.” — Ongis Mutan
The next morning I questioned returning, but I really wanted to finish and Kate was confident I could get it done.
I’m so glad I went back because it looked amazing once it was finished!
I took my Green Man home and put him amongst the petunias in the garden where he seems quite at home. The bindweed is already exploring his features.
While I don’t anticipate doing more stone carving anytime soon, I highly recommend giving it a try, and if you’re in the UK, check out Kate Semple’s Stone Carving Studio.
I learned that stone carving is a much more physical way of creating than I am used to, and it’s always good to push the comfort zone. You have to be able to see the future image in three dimensions, and consider how light and shadow will impact the lines. I had to make the cuts much deeper and emphasise the shapes much more than I expected. I certainly have renewed respect for those who work with stone and other hard materials!
While I don’t know exactly how this experience will emerge in my writing yet, I know a stonemason will feature somehow. In the meantime, here are some related books you might like.
Books about stone carving and masonry
- The Stone Carvers — Jane Urquhart. Weaves together the story of ordinary lives marked by obsession and transformed by art. At the centre of a large cast of characters is Klara Becker, the granddaughter of a master carver.
- Pillars of the Earth — Ken Follett. A historical epic about the building of a Gothic cathedral set against the backdrop of ambition, anarchy and absolute power.
- Stone Will Answer: A Journey Guided by Craft, Myth and Geology — Beatrice Searle. A travel memoir about a stonemason carrying a sacred stone from Orkney to Norway along an ancient pilgrim path.
- King of Dust: Adventures in Forgotten Sculpture — Alex Woodcock. A craftsman’s journey through the landscapes and ancient sculpture that inspired him to pick up tools. A meditation on craft, the importance of the handmade, and the transformative power of art.
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Michelangelo
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