The highlight of my stone carving year is the Canadian stone carving festival which took place in the beautiful city of Montreal this year, outside the Pointe-à-callière archaeology and history complex in old Montreal. The festival theme was chosen by Les Ateliers de la pierre : Greece and Its Heroes in the Age of Troy. Stone as a testament to the art and architecture of ancient Greece.
My process usually starts with finding a phrase that appeals to me and fits within the given theme. In some ways, this is the part that takes the longest. Since all of the auction proceeds from the festival go to charity my aim is to find a phrase that can inspire as many people as possible to bid on the completed piece.
In the past I have carved English on one side and French on the other, so the buyer has a choice of which side to display, but this time, I was completely engrossed by the Ancient Greek patterns. I found the meander, or Greek key, to be particularly appealing as it symbolises infinity and the eternal flow of life.
So, with a pattern chosen I then needed to determine which phrase fitted the theme. I typically gravitate towards phrases or words that inspire or create positivity. It’s a tricky world out there right now so I believe that surrounding ourselves with more inspiration or positivity can only be a good thing.
I found this quote, which was attributed to Alexander the Great, a Greek hero whose words have stood the test of time – For the courageous, nothing is unattainable. So true.
We only have 20 hours to complete our carving on site and I would not have gotten this piece completed if I had not made a start in my studio first. Given the repetitive nature of the symbol, I knew lots of focus was going to be required for this one!
Thanks to all those who had the opportunity to drop by and chat with me and to the person who bought this piece – more on that in the future … Part of the charm of the festival is being able to show/chat with the public about what we do and what it takes to produce our work using only hand tools, so it was great to interact with so many people.
Interested in other pieces from previous festivals? See Canadian Stone Carving Festival, Montreal, July 2025, Canadian Stone Carving Festival 2023.