” The quality of art is that it makes people who are looking outward, turn inward ” – Dalai Lama

I first tried sculpting in 2001, and the insight – which was an eye-opener for me – into how ‘removing is creating’ resulted in a brand-new passion. Since then, my hands have turned many types of stone into a wide variety of forms.

To me, it is endlessly fascinating to see what can be created with such different types of stone, ranging from the ‘soft’ ones, such as soapstone, alabaster, French limestone and serpentine, to the ‘hard’ stones such as marble.

Equally important, it is also very relaxing – and ‘grounding’. When I sculpt, everything else disappears: there is space for nothing else. I become so focused, it is almost a form of meditation. In the act of sculpting, you are always in the ‘now’.  And that’s a wonderful place to be.

For those who like the idea of sculpting, modelling in clay or wax is a ‘tried-and-true’ good first step towards developing the necessary sense of spatial form. And when you are ready to try to give form to your own internal images or symbolism, there are highly instructive (multi-day) sculpture workshops available where you can get your feet seriously wet for the first time.