Flexibility

I am a clumsy person...always have been. My sisters used to say "she can't chew gum and walk". This last winter I fell three times. I was in extreme discomfort, but the Dr. said I just needed some physical therapy and with a few exercises from a friend who is a physical therapist, I was making progress, and the pain had been relieved.

There are a number of people working in the stone studio in Roanoke County. Some are ladies my age, not young but not too old. There was a discussion about an exercise program by Teresa Tapp. One lady, purchased Teresa Tapp's Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes the web site is http://www.t-tapp.com/. Others at the studio say she looks as if she is slimming down. She said, she wasn't sure she looked better, but she felt better. I have this collection of weight loss, diet, and exercise books, but I was convinced to go get the book. What is amazing, with two weeks of occasional use..I can see over my left shoulder to check oncoming traffic. Worth the purchase price? Oh yeah!

Today's work

Here is today's progress on the bunny. This is not fast work, but it is rewarding.

Stone sculpting

This bunny had 19 hours of work in it when this picture was taken. It was the last day of using the "heavy equipment" on him. The next week I started with a riffler. My teacher tells me that with 19 hours of roughing the shape, I have 19 hours of refinement, and another 19 hours of sanding and polishing ahead of me.

This has been a fun process, I have taken painting, design, pottery, and other art classes. Perhaps this is my medium.

Stone Rabbits

When the children were small, they would visit Grandma's house. Grandma lived in an large two story home on Phillipe Parkway in Safety Harbor. The house had poured cement steps, and there lived on those stone steps a large stone rabbit. He resided just to the south of the Monkey Puzzle tree for many years. But one time when we came home to visit, the rabbit was missing. It would have taken at least two good sized men to be able to move that rabbit.

Fast forward 25 years, this spring a friend challenged me to take a stone sculpting class that the local Y was offering. So we both signed up. The teacher, Sue Brovosky, had lots alabaster, marble, dendritic, and virginia soap stone available. I chose a piece of virginia soap stone.

I had another friend tell me that the stone must tell you what lies inside. Another said, you may carve what you want. I had wanted to carve a rabbit, perhaps a small rabbit, to replace my lost friend. But it was obvious when I picked up the stone that there was a rabbit waiting to be revealed. In the first two hours, others could see the rabbit, waiting patiently. The stone weighed 9.5 pounds and was too small to use a chisel and hammer on, but it has 12 hours of files to date. And each time I spend time with him, he looks more and more like a rabbit.