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I
have developed this website to help those who are interested
in soapstone and the carving of soapstone. |
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 I am Sandy Cline,
and I have been creating soapstone sculptures for over 55 years.
When
I was just starting to develop an interest in sculpture, I was
fortunate enough to discover a book on sculpture by Malvina
Hoffman. Her
writings and sculpture inspired me to pursue the life of a sculptor.
It
was not many years after I started carving stone, that I was
induced into teaching a workshop in soapstone carving at the
Buffalo Museum of Natural Science. Since then, I have been passing
my knowledge to students throughout Canada and the United States. |
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I believe that everyone is capable of
carving soapstone. You may already have the picture of what you
want to make in your mind. All you need is the stone, the tools
and a mentor to show you how to bring it out of the stone. As
Malvina Hoffman wrote in her book, "Sculpture Inside and
Out", "Sculpture can not be taught, it needs to be
experienced".
Throughout the years I have been teaching sculpture,
I find that my students have taught me as well.
They have told me that in watching how my hands work the stone,
they can see how they can achieve the desired look they were
striving for.
Remember, you can never make a mistake, you
have only changed the design. It is the artist's prerogative
to have the ability to change the design to whatever he desires.
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This year I was invited to be part of a
coffee table book called "The Artists of Kawartha"
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I
have worked with many students in 50 years, but the the most
pleasure I was accorded was the opportunity of teaching and working
with Ropey Atsiqtaq, a blind Inuit from the Northwest Territories.
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I teach a Soapstone SculptureWorkshop intermittently
at the Whetung
Ojibwa Centre, Curve Lake Indian Reserve, just north
of Peterborough, Ontario. We generally hold weekend workshops
but five day workshops can be arranged.
This workshop will provide a
general introduction to the carving of soapstone. You will develop
a working knowledge of the material, the tools, safe handling
issues and the methods used to complete a carving. Beginning
with a study of the properties of the stone, you will produce
a simple piece and progress to making a sculpture of your choice.
The development of your own personal style will be encouraged.
All the tools necessary will be provided by the teacher. The
stone for the first project, a "Swimming Loon", is
included in the class fee. There after stone cost for this course
will depend on the size of the project or projects chosen. Stone
will be $3.00 per pound. An average carving generally will use
10 pounds of stone. You should bring towels or bubble wrap to
carry home your finished carvings. Contact Whetung Ojibwa Centre to register.
This year I will again be teaching a five
day workshop at William Holland Retreat in Young Harris,
Georgia. Spring dates are April 29th -
May 3rd. Fall dates are September
29th - October 4th.
Here
are results of past classes
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My Sculptures are presently being sold through Whetung
Gallery
at Curve
Lake, Ontario.
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I try to regularly update
the New
Work pages with the new carvings
I have finished recently. On these pages, you can view some of
the latest sculptures and those still available to purchase at
the Whetung Gallery.
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This is my show schedule; There you can find out where I will be showing and demonstrating
in the future. I also try to post photos of the events I have
already participated in.
In there, you
will also find photos of students work from past classes.
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Regularly I will
receive an email regarding possible health risks of working with
soapstone. I have found that the answer depends on the occupation.
If you ask a doctor, there is very little health risk. If you
ask a lawyer, there is a very serious health risk. I can not
say that there is no health risk, it is just that I have not
found a verifiable health risk to this date.
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If you have any other questions,
just Email me:
sandy@sandycline.com |
Sandy Cline
580 Coon Lake Road,
North Kawartha, Ontario, K0L 2H0 |
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