The Process

Hmmm.... It usually starts with an idea, followed by some sketches, followed by a few mistakes before I get the final sculpture. At the moment, I am using a lot of limestone which is quite soft and relatively easy to carve. First I have to cut blocks of stone then I get stuck into it with a tommahawk... believe it not, this tool is amazing for shaping stone. I can get the main shape of the sculpture with this great tool. This is followed with chisels and a mallet to get finer details, then rasps and sandpaper. Sandpaper, is one of the most useful tools also... I call it a tool, because it does so much, and deserves it's own space in the tool rack.

("Glowing Heart" - commission) Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide

There are often quite a few cups of tea in the day, being English, which definitely helps in the design process.. sometimes you gotta just stop and look at what you're doing... if you don't... you could find yourself getting too carried away and making a right cock up of it all .. scuse the lango! Believe me, I turned many a fuller shaped woman figure into a skinny, herion-chiq style figure just because I got too carried away... stone sculpture is not like clay modelling... you can't put it back on.. you just can't. Here is where a discipline is learned. Most of all... you gotta have fun and enjoy what you are doing. Don't ever be too hard on yourself and just allow those mistakes to shape your outlook in a more positive and understanding way. Strive for your own vision, yet allow the stone to express itself... it will anyway, and you just gotta free the sculpture from its womb... Not easier said than done... just not understood, til it's done. Don't give up.

"Buddha Wall" - Commission - B & S Beecroft, Western Australia

"The Fifth Element" - Commission - Jim Jones, Birdwood, South Australia

What is cast stone?

Cast Stone is markedly superior to concrete, artificial rock and quarried (natural) stone.  It is less susceptible to the detrimental effects of weathering which can damage the laminated structure of quarried stone.  The cast stone is made by grinding quarried marble, granite and other stone to a fine powder.  This powder is then mixed with cement and other additives.  The mixture is rammed or vibrated into sturdy molds to achieve a dense texture, matching natural stone.  It can also be polished to a gloss or satin finish.  It can be made in any color, and can match granite, slate, travertine, marble and more.  The end result is a stone with endless coloring and texturing capabilities and, with a lifetime beyond that of natural stone and bronze.  Bronze cast sculptures require yearly maintenance, no maintenance is ever required for cast stone!

Definition and history

Cast Stone - Any mixture of cement or plaster prepared to imitate the appearance of natural stone.  In early Egyptian tombs and Roman buildings, walls were coated with lime and gypsum plaster then painted to simulate the appearance of natural stone.  By the 16th century, recipes for artificial stones included marble dust, lime and glue.  Manufacturing centres were preparing cast stones based on terra cotta (Coade Stone) or cement (Pulham stone, Haddon stone) by the mid 19th century for use in buildings, statuary and decoration.  Also in the 19th century, various mixtures of modified gypsum plasters, such as Keeneís cement, crushed stone and colouring materials were patented as artificial marbles, many of which were cast into slabs for interior decoration.  Cement, mixed with sand and crushed stone, and often referred to as cast, reconstituted or reconstructed stone, was widely used from the late 19th century in Europe and North America to produce balustrades, columns, architraves, arches and tracery windows.  Various aggregates such as granite and other stone dusts, slag and crushed brick were used to produce a range of colours and textures; pigments could also be introduced.  Buildings and cast stone ornaments that were constructed 2000 years ago are still standing today.