<<<< sandstones

The stone was a reclaimed coping or kerb stone I found on waste-ground in Manchester. It is sandstone but a very tough, brittle and gritty variety (similar to Blacknest) It is not really suitable for carving but I liked its steel-grey colour. I started this is 2000, then left it unfinished from 2001-2005 as I was working on my marble head. I went back to it as I wanted to try and simultaneously paint and carve on a sculpture, so this is what I have attempted to do here. Painting stones is something I tried on my residency in Scalloway, I liked the way the paint brought out all the texture and form of the rock, I wanted to utilise this but also have it as part of the decision-making in terms of carving.