|
Soapstone is found in
Kenya and Zimbabwe.
With a hammer and chisel, the artist will first
work to create the rough form, and then go over it again and again
with finer chisels or files for more detail. At no time are electrical
or mechanical tools used.
Next, the surface is smoothed by using
different grades of wet and dry sandpaper from course to smooth. In
its natural form in Kenya soapstone is creamy white, with occasional
pink streaks, and the artists often colour their work and use their
creations as a canvas, painting African scenes.
Further south in
Zimbabwe, the stone is much darker in rich earthy browns and greys.
When the sculpture is finished, a mixture of clear polish and beeswax
is applied. All the natural colour, rich textures and grain of the
stone are now visible. On some creations the carver will etch into the
wax and stone to give a special effect like the feathers on a hornbill
or the markings on a giraffe.
Serpentine is also from Zimbabwe and is an old hard rock that is
extremely difficult to carve.
To maintain your work of art in fine form, you can polish it with
beeswax. Simply apply with a soft cloth, leave for 20 minutes, then
buff off. If someone scratches your carving simply heat it with a
cigarette lighter and apply beeswax, as it is likely that it is only
the wax that has been scratched not the stone itself. |
