The Creation of a Shona Stone Masterpiece

The journey from an ephemeral dream to a completed sculpture is a long and arduous process. Please note that all work in the creation of a stone spirit is done by hand and no power tools are used signifying the amount of patience and an enormous sense of sight and feeling dedicated to the process.

The raw stone is given an initial form guided by the vision that i possess to see the final design locked within the stone. This will take sometime, up to a couple of weeks for large pieces to be completed. I, like many other traditional artists believe that the spirit of the piece is in the stone and my job is to release it. My skilled hands give the stone it's preliminary shape and by using a hammer and chisel, I will chip away the pieces of rock that hide my vision of the finished work of art.

The sculpture will then begin to take on it's final appearance when I use a metal file which we call a 'Rasper' to remove the rough areas of the stone surface. Again, all the interiors of the sculpture require a lot of patience and skill and because of this, the stone and myself have this deep connection which will eventually come out as a finished work of art.

I then begin the process of completing the sculpture of which i use water and sand paper, rubbing in slow sometimes circular motions for many hours to bring it to a smooth finish. A lot of attention must be given to interiors, so that even the smallest surfaces are a delight to the touch.

In Zimbabwe I used a wood fire to heat the sculpture. Heating of the sculpture is required to permit the coats of wax usually a shoe polish (neutral polish brings out the true color of the stone and a higher luster) allowing the stone's porous veneer to expand. Once cooled, I will hand-buff the waxed surface with a cloth which will bring the stone to it's gleaming perfection. Here in Vancouver I use a heater or the conventional fire place.

The finished work of art will now be ready to find it's way into your home ,where it will add it's special qualities which I hope will inspire and uplift the spirits of all who live there. 'Lovers, Deep Thinkers, Happy Families, etc' are themes that inspire me and are eagerly accepted throughout the world.

About the Author:
Wesley is part of the new generation of Zimbabwean Shona Stone Sculptors whose extraordinary work can be viewed and purchased at Shona Art Gallery including Shona Stone Sculpture Art .