It s a New Course That Rocks: Intro to Stonecarving

The curriculum for an unusual summer course offering at the University of Cincinnati is, literally, set in stone.

That’s because the course in UC’s top-ranked College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning is all about stone. It’s called “Into to Stonecarving” and is led by adjunct instructor Megan Merrell.

Said Merrell, “I’ve loved stone as a medium ever since I had my first introductory sculpture class, but of course, the typical sculpture class requires students to work with all sorts of materials, like wood, plaster, chalk and not just stone. And because of that, students don’t really get enough experience in working with stone to the point where they can do so easily, without frustration.”

Seeing students’ frustration in trying to work with stone plus her own passion for the medium led Merrell to propose the course. She added, “Stone is a wonderful medium. It’s a connection to history and pre-history. It will endure far into the future… Also, working with stone is great fun, empowering and wonderfully cheap therapy!”

Student Senja Searle, 26, of Lake Chelan, Wash., agreed saying, “Even though I’m a  sculpture student, I’ve never worked with stone before. I’ve worked with a variety of materials and always had an interest in the more classical methods and techniques. It’s all challenging, fun and very creative.”

The June 19-July 25 course includes four basic assignments. Merrel starts her students out with the relatively simple assignment of making a bowl. Then, the students move on to a more free-form work in which they must emphasize either texture or polish. Finally, the students will create an independent assignment.

"I’m following the curriculum too and making the same forms as the students. By working alongside the students, I set the pace for the class and provide a ‘demo’ model for them,” said Merrell who currently has nine stone sculptures on display at Flatlanders Art Gallery in Blissfield, Mich.

All the projects are providing a challenge for the students. Searle reported that she made an accidental dent in her bowl project, a dent she later smoothed out by sanding down her project. For her texture piece, Searle plans to carve a “fingerprint” and for her final project, a leaf.

For the final project, the one object students won't be able to carve as the finished product: a rock. Merrell made that rule clear early on, figuring a frustrated student or two just might try to take the easy way out. 

Seven students are enrolled in the class. Their tools for the course consist of a one-and-a-half pound hammer and five chisels along with 20- and 50-pound pieces of limestone.

Chris Bovard, 25, of Western Hills, is an electronic art major more accustomed to working with computers and software programs to create memorable pieces. This is his first-ever sculpture course. “The best part is the challenge,” he claimed, “It’s so different from anything I’ve ever done. It’s a very careful process, almost tedious sometimes and not at all easy, but I’m about to complete my first project (a bowl) after working on it for a week. I’m sanding down the rough spots now. It just feels great to do something I never thought I could.”

Bovard and his classmates spend four-hour blocks of time in the course four days a week, but he said the time just flies by and that he hopes to continue with stone carving after the class ends. He stated, “I’m even trying to think of something really cool for my final project. I’ve been thinking – if I could actually do it – of something out of ‘The Flinstones’ … or I’m taking a film noir class where we saw ‘The Maltese Falcon.’ If I was ever good enough, I’d like to make a falcon like the one in the movie.”

The secret to success for Bovard or any of the other students, according to Merrell, is stamina rather than strength. She explained, “In working with stone, you don’t whack away at the piece. It’s a focused, concentrated, consistent tapping and chipping that really only involves the lower arm, wrist and hand.”

Because the effort is so concentrated, fatigue is common in the course, and so, Merrell insists the students take breaks. She stated, “I might give a 20-minute break, but they’re back at it again within 15 minutes. They’ll start without me, and they rarely want to stop.”