22 Dec
Canadian Artist, Soapstone sculpture

Fish Sculpture – Make a Splash

 

http://johdanstoneart.ca/product/fish-sculpture-splashing-soapstone-one-piece/

 This carving has style.

When you look at the fish from both sides, it is green – oops then it is brown.  How does he do that?  He doesn’t , mother nature does.

This piece of Brazilian soapstone makes up the base and the whole fish. The glorious other side of this piece (which you will have to check out the store pages to see) is a golden brown. Turn the fish, different look. Two fish for the price of one.

How this carving came about was that I was on a tear for awhile making fish art for a a client that wanted his own jumping salmon, going fishing with a buddy and dreaming about all thinks wet and slimy.  I think it paid off with this carving.  A very realistic nature rendition if I do say so myself . And with the clear lacquer just the right touch of shiny as he just jumped out from the stream.

If I was dreaming of making more art – which I usually am , it would be to create a separate bear piece reaching in for the fish.  I have done this before as one piece but if it was 2 pieces the bear would have to be about 2 ft tall in order to get the correct perspective.  Do have a mantle that big?  Or a desk in your office?  I could make it.  And come to think of it , I have carved a large bear or two.  Hmmm. I am always thinking of the next project.  This might be it.  Now to come up with a big enough piece of stone….

Got it.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Keep doing what you love and 2018 will be awesome!!!

04 Dec
Brazilian Soapstone, Canadian Artist, Soapstone sculpture

Still a fan of Brazilian Soapstone

Same fish different , different side

 

Okay, I am a fan of Brazilian Soapstone, not so much of limestone, maybe alabaster is a close second.  The reasoning is as simple as, that I think the beauty of Brazilian soapstone has a depth of colour that marble and limestone don’t have.This is shown with this fish that I carved a little while ago.  It is one piece of stone.

One ‘rock’ gives ; browns , blues and I have left the base essentially in it’s raw state with just some hint of watermarks.  A client who purchases this piece would get two  fish for the price of one if you think of these things in terms of home decor. Can you pick the wet, muddy stream and the fish catching the light so in one turn he or she is brown and at the next jump he looks green?

The beauty of soapstone. The artist has to work with the stone but, the inherent colours and lines of the stone, lend themselves so well to this jumping fish.

Are people tired yet that I say; soapstone carver instead of stone artist or just artist?  Maybe , and the general public may not care at first glance whether my art is made from soapstone or any other type of stone.  But, I do.

And anyone that looks at my art or any other stone artist feels the intrinsic love of the colours that show up  in the stone. For me it is particularly satisfying when I work with Brazilian soapstone.

I am a carver, I carve what I see in the stone, (yes mostly bears but, other things like this fish as well).

Can’t you just picture being at a stream and seeing the fish jump up and catch a bit of the reflection of the water? The beauty of stone art.