The Craft of stone carving

Creating a collection with Amberley Stone

Article from A New tribe

A small glimpse of the article found on A New Tribes website:

Where did the idea for Amberley Stone come from, and how did your studio practise come into fruition?

I’ve always been obsessed with the landscape and stones. Growing up visiting my grandparents on the Jurassic Coast when I was very young, I played with sand, fossils, stones and had giant cliff faces in front of me that held an incredible amount of history within them always felt so inspiring. Always having a Barbie doll with me but using my brothers toy saw and hammers for fun. I somehow over the years found my ‘quiet’ and my peace when I’m in the presence of this environment and using my hands with natural materials. Manipulating forms, imagining how things would work, how balance and gravity all play a part. I was determined that this feeling would be an importance in my life and I needed to find how I could do this in my everyday.

I’ve always loved architecture, the form of the foundations and the strength of materials holding a space. I remember I bought a small bag of plaster in my first week at University, experimenting with fabric and the relief of textures mixed with the weight of gravity. My tutor then introduced me to a Cornish Granite carving class and I found my rhythm and that ‘quiet’ that I’d be longing for, and haven’t looked back since.

How do you select the stones for each piece, and what are your favourite types of stone to work with?

I’m intrigued by natural forms, how the rain, the wind, the trees all orchestrate their shape over time. These natural materials have so much story, and my hope is to see the vision of this story in the stone and exploit it, to expose the beauty. I love to work with limestone, I feel that the conversation when carving this material is acknowledged and accepted. The texture and detail that this stone is able to produce is exquisite. During my time in Italy, I also loved carving Marble. I felt the connection between the stone, water, the moon and myself when working with it.

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