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  1. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    Thought you might like another of my recent pieces, installed earlier this month (March 2021) at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, and Phoebe, who modeled for the dog that I carved in the knot in the tree, is very pleased. Tree Stump Tombstones were very popular in the United States in...
  2. Gargoyle

    Some work of the last few years. Long delays in completing this alongside other work that came in. Turkish walnut grips, and checkered at 55LPI.

    Gorgeous
  3. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    That story about Michelangelo is nonsense. There are some very soft stones that carve differently if you soak them. With marble, wetting it can help you see the grain and any surface flaws, but that's about it. With limestone, I prefer anywhere from two months to three or four years out of the...
  4. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    A sealant isn't necessary, but I do use one just to give a little protection for the first few years as the stone hardens up. The stone is softer when first quarried since it has been sitting in ground moisture for a few hundred million years. It dries out considerably in the first couple of...
  5. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    Am I an endangered species? Can I get special government protection?
  6. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    First Presbyterian Church, Deerfield, Illinois
  7. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    It took some careful rigging. it reached 12' tall, but the top piece had to lift another 6" above that to get over the stainless pin, and we had a 14' gantry... once you subtract the height of the chainfall, hook, and slings, it took some fancy footwork to get it together. Also, it's in a...
  8. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    Installed in mid March...
  9. Gargoyle

    Deleted

    Does GRS or Lindsay have a delete key on their engraving tools?
  10. Gargoyle

    new wildlife thread

    Yup. Note how far back my hands are and how thick my gloves are. Some people say to pick them up by the tail- do NOT do that, the tail is a continuation of their spine, you can do serious spinal injury to them that way.
  11. Gargoyle

    new wildlife thread

    And this one was out next to the road, could have gotten run over so I moved it down to the creek. Notice it's trying to pee on me...
  12. Gargoyle

    new wildlife thread

    This dude hung out in my yard posing for photos for an hour last summer.
  13. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    The final step in carving this limestone cross was to connect the veins and stems at the joints between the sections. It's now ready for installation, weather permitting. (It's currently 3°F here, that's -16°C, so not today!). I have to carve in towards the body of the stone from the edge, or it...
  14. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    Finish heads are good. Look for the Perkele brand. Danish heads tend to bend, I think it's the aquavit that twists them. Norwegian heads don't hold the depth, they slide too much due to the lutefish oil. Italian heads are most traditional, but very hard to find.
  15. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    OK, next comes the last inch of carving at the joints between the stones. There is also a pedestal block, not in this photo.
  16. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    Finally getting this off the workbench today... it's dragged on too long. I just have to set it on the floor (it's 7' wide, about 1400 lbs) and align it with the top and bottom sections, so I can carve the final inch of interlace where the stones meet. I left that for last so that I can be sure...
  17. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    1. The background isn't smooth, I deliberately texture it with the chisels. If it were smooth, it would reflect more light and not seem as deep; the texture makes it darker. Actual depth of relief is just under 3/8". (<1cm). 2. I use a rare, extreme high precision specialty depth gauge to...
  18. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    I've uploaded a very short video explaining the main steps in the grape leaves to FB and Instagram. My main point is, do the major forms first and the details will fall into place. Too many people get hung up on details first; masses, light and shadow, movement, form are the important things. I...
  19. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

  20. Gargoyle

    Carving grapevine on a limestone cross

    I've started twisting the ends of the grapevines into the central crown of thorns. When that is done I'll carve the grape leaves.

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