March 2006 Newsletter - Montoya Sculpture & Supply

Issue 21
Mar 2006 - Newsletter

ROCK TALK
MONTOYA SCULPTURE & SUPPLY since 1973

Interesting stone sculpture related news, technical tips, special offers and other sculpture stuff.
By Jeff Halverson
Sculptor and Owner of Montoya Sculpture & Supply
www.MontoyaSculpture.com

Issue 21, March 17, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Editor's Note
2. Enzo Torcoletti Workshop Instructor- eInterview
3. Workshops at Montoya
4. New Items
5. Current Sale
6. Upcoming Events
7. Please send sculpture quotes (maybe win $25 gift certificate)

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SCULPTURE QUOTE

“The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for the rest of your life. And the most important thing is it most be something you cannot possibly do.”

Henry Moore

Submitted by: Craig Royal
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1. EDITOR'S NOTE

Thanks to Craig Royal of Tampa for submitting the selected quote. He will receive a $25 gift certificate.

I always hesitate to write things like this but the workshop in Limestone carving with Dale Enochs was great. I hesitate because I know as a reader I would expect a tendency to bias writing. But we did have a very good time. I wish more readers would take the opportunity to take stone carving workshops whenever they can. They are very inspiring and eye opening. This one was our first with Dale Enochs and he was not only a very good teacher but an exceptional sculptor. Check his website at www.DaleEnochs.com. And the Indiana Limestone? That was a real pleasure also. You may recall that alabaster is a 3 on the Mohs Hardness scale (see my Technical Bulletin #2, Stone Hardness, What is Hard, on the Montoya website) Limestone is rated as a 4 so it is softer than marble. It carves very consistently and performs well outside. It better, it's on the Pentagon, the Empire State Building, 27 State Capitals and the US Holocaust Memorial. The textural options will fill a long list also. See some of them on Dales' website). Based on the review comments from the workshop participants Dale will defiantly be invited back next year. This was a five day workshop and worth every minute. We also had Dale do a demonstration on stone splitting using slips and wedges (call us if you need a few sets) on a 2800 limestone block. He also demonstrated the epoxy he has used on limestone for 20 years for joining limestone to metal hangers as well as to other limestone.

We also got to use many of Dales carving tools many of which were hand made in the Bloomington Indiana area for himself or other stone carvers. We enjoyed seeing and using the pitching tools he had. I will be stocking a few of these in the near future. They are a great way to knock off large portions of limestone, marble and granite

Our next workshop is with a very favorite teacher, Enzo Torcoletti

Below is an eInterview with Enzo.
Please forward this issue to a friend that might be interested.
Thanks for reading. Remember to dream and create.

Jeff
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2. Enzo Torcoletti Workshop Instructor- Interview by Jeff Halverson (JH) Enzo Torcoletti (ET). Enzo has instructed sculpture classes many years and teaches sculpture at Flagler College in St Augustine, Florida. He has been a guest stone carving instructor at Montoya for 13 years. His works are in many collections and on display in private collections as well as in a few government buildings. He will be conducting our sculpture workshop from March 23- 26 (Thursday to Sunday).

Interview by Jeff Halverson (JH) with Enzo Torcoletti (ET)

JH- Enzo, I am glad to have you coming back again for your stone carving workshop that starts on March 23rd Thursday and runs through March 26th Sunday. Have you been involved in anything artistically new during the last year?
ET- Jeff, that's a wonderful question ! And the answer is both yes and no. No, because I have been doing basically the same things ( carve, cast, teach, etc. ), but the yes is because every time one does something creative it's always new, and that goes for teaching also. Even if you have done it a hundred times before, it's different every time.

JH- Enzo, you have done numerous commissions for private and public organizations, including a 60 foot granite commission in England. Please tell us a little about what drew you to sculpture as a profession and a career?
ET-Sculpture, like the world is 3-D and the stuff of sculpture ( materials and processes ) is always challenging and I love challenges! Actually I came to sculpture late in life. In Italy I went to art school to become a painter and studied painting and decorating. After I moved to Canada and enrolled at the University of Windsor as an English literature major, things changed direction for me. There I met a professor, Joe De Lauro, a sculptor who introduced me to sculpture and I've been doing sculpture ever since. Why ? Probably because I find sculpture to be part art, part science and part engineering. I'm intrigued by the necessity to “invent”, improvise or contrive solutions to the unexpected problems and directions required by sculpture materials, especially stone.

JH- Please tell me about your education and sculpture related teaching experience. What do you try to bring out in class participants?
ET-At the University of Windsor I continued to be an English major and completed my degree, but as a result of my association with members of the art department, I took a lot of art classes and after completing my degree in English I decided to continue for a Bachelor of Fine Arts In sculpture. This led to my being accepted in the Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture at Florida State University. Since I had been given a teaching assistantship at F.S.U., I ended up teaching and discovered that I enjoyed that as well. Consequently, when I was asked to join the Art Faculty at Flagler College in 1971, I was delighted to be able to continue to hone both of these personal passions.

Apart from teaching and doing personal sculptures I am very involved in commission work. I also like to travel and explore other possibilities with the idea that learning never stops and formal education should be a beginning, not the end of learning. Hence in a teaching situation with any class participant I try to encourage exploration and daring beyond the already familiar and comfortable format. I encourage inclusion of multiple possibilities and then reverse the process by trying to eliminate all except the most powerful and the most pristine elements in order to produce a clear and concise “statement”.

JH- This year will be your 13th year teaching at Montoya. Usually your class is half full of participants who have worked with you before. We get a lot of good comments regarding your teaching style as well as your personality. What do you try to accomplish with your participants that keeps you popular?
ET-Actually I don't try to do anything specifically to ensure that I remain popular. I try to give my students what I would like to be given, were I in their situation. I try to keep the mood light but focused. I try to give out adequate information about tools and supplies to keep everyone current. I try to be encouraging and supportive. And I try to find out from each participant about their experiences, their needs and their aspirations. With beginners I try to encourage and direct them so they can get a good start with as few set backs as possible. With the more advanced I try to move them up to what I feel is the next level so they can proceed on their own comfortably with a sense of achievement and pride.

JH- Tell me about a teacher, artist or event that most influences you're teaching style.
ET-I would consider my teaching style to be eclectic and quite flexible. Because I have had many teachers (and hundreds of students ) in my life that have helped me to learn to teach, I realize that the art of teaching is like any other art form. To create a good piece of art one has to be in tune with the medium and to teach successfully one has to become attuned to the individual student's needs. I teach differently to different students, depending on who they are and what they need to know (or want to know). I don't have a standard format for everyone any more than I have a standard behavior for everyone at all times. A lot depends on the situation. My insistence on good craftsmanship is probably the result of my training in Italy where craftsmanship was always # 1. However, generally, I like my classes to be informal and fun so that learning does not become forced labor but something to be enjoyed and naturally sought out. When the environment was fairly open, as a student, I have been able to learn a lot even from mediocre teachers, however, I believe that I was able to learn the most from those teachers that knew their stuff, were open, were encouraging and had a sense of humor.

JH- If you could go back in time to work with a sculptor of the past whom would you want to go spend a day with? Why?
ET-If I could go back in time I would love to talk to many sculptors, but since you lock me in to only one, I have to go with Phidias during the time he was working on the sculptures for the Parthenon in Athens. When I look at this series of sculptures and compare it to other work of other sculptors that immediately preceded it, I can see a giant leap into modernity without sacrificing any of the dignity of the past. I would like to know how he was regarded by his peers and his patrons. I would like to know under what pressures and under what constraints, if any, was he creating.

JH- As a professional sculptor, as well as a college professor teaching sculpture, what do you feel are the elements that make a sculpture successful?
ET-As a college professor who teaches sculpture, drawing and art history, I have to constantly remind my students about all of the formal, traditional elements of design and point out to them all of the wonderful examples that we have been bequeathed from the past. Simultaneously, as an individual I can listen to myself and feel like the proverbial “voice crying in the wilderness” when I look at the transgressions and see what is being traded around for art. As a professional sculptor I feel that the old elements of design are still valid and we should be happy that we also have the artistic license to strain those guidelines, but we should not rejoice in killing design. In my opinion a sculpture can be successful for many reasons but ultimately a successful sculpture, like any successful piece of art, should have unity, harmony, variety and well-handled transitions. The sculpture should be well crafted and it should make one want to walk around it. Like a well crafted poem, a sculpture should give you some answers but most importantly it should also leave you with some questions to be resolved on your own, later.

JH- If you had to pick just one, what would be your favorite subject for sculpture and why?
ET- Because of its' complexity and its' ability to be translated and transformed in so many ways in art, I have to say that the human figure and its' various fragmentary images is my favorite subject.

JH- Enzo what sculpture large or small, remains to be done by you?
ET-In the past I have done mostly pure, non-hybrid sculptures. That is, I've used fairly traditional media in my pieces. Even when laminations occur generally they are of the same family or with pretty compatible material. Although I have done a few experiments, I have not opened up completely in combining media that might react with each other in such a way as to produce unpredictable results. This I would like explore further, perhaps even start with the upcoming workshop.

JH- We meet many people who seem interested in stone sculpture. What advice would you want to give to a beginner interested in stone sculpture?
ET-My advice to a beginner interested in stone sculpture is to go for it without hesitation. The tools are simple and the basic techniques haven't changed in millennia! Just remember not to set yourself up for a disappointment by selecting a project that is too complex. Above all select a stone that is uniform and one that can easily be worked. Crumbly stones ( too soft ) or stones such as granite and basalt that are too hard to work with normal hand tools, should be avoided for a first project. Also I find that if the stone is too small and difficult to be held stable while carving, it can cause a great deal of frustration.

JH- Each summer you leave north Florida and return to Umbria in Italy for two to three months to sculpt. Perhaps you have been inspired to explore a new area of your art. Is there anything new you wish to inspire your class participants with during the coming workshop in March 2006?
ET-It's amazing how many new and different versions of power tools and supplies appear every year in the marketplace !. All of the innovations are for the sake of working stone faster and more efficiently, however the biggest problems in sculpture are still the same: Planning and Design. In the coming workshop we will use both traditional and new tolls to achieve our objectives. We will use power tools and unusual approaches to explore and experiment so that if something does not work out to our satisfaction we will not have invested a great deal of time to find out.

JH- Have there been any improvements in the “Italian Hardhat” since we last met? (The “Italian Hardhat” is a folded paper hat worn by many Italian artisans to keep dust out of their hair). Will you be including directions on making them in our next workshop?
ET-The “Italian Hardhat” has been around so long and worked on by so many artisans that I don't believe it can be improved much more. However I will show everyone how to make one, and who knows, one of the participants might have a breakthrough and find a way to improve. That would be very exciting!

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3. Workshops- our lineup for the next two months. In case you have not taken a sculpture workshop, and may be considering one, I hope you do take the opportunity. They really are a great chance to get away and focus your mind and hand on the craft. They are uplifting, rewarding, eye-opening and very fun. Some of my earliest stone carving experiences were at workshops and I try to improve on them each year because of the great memories I have from attending them. Expand your sculptural experience.

MOSAIC TECHNIQUES MINI-WORKSHOP- Jeff Halverson, April 22nd
& 23rd (Sat-Sun) 9-5, $155, Limited to 8 participants (four spaces left). Learn the basics and move into more advanced techniques. Includes layout, cutting, cat stone medallion, adhering, and grouting. Work with Italian mosaic glass tessare (tiles). Introduction to six of the opus styles. Complete one 16”x16”- ready to hang project. Fish bird, address, flower or choose your own. No experience needed, all material included. Also sample the marble cutting hammer/hardie and chopper.
Contact us to reserve your spot.

STONE CARVING, FINISHING, JOINING & LAMINATING- Enzo Torcoletti, March 23rd thru 26th Thur- Sun (2 of 10 spaces left) $395
We welcome world renowned sculptor Enzo Torcoletti to Montoya Sculpture's workshop for his 13th season. A full time Flagler College sculpture professor for over 30 years, and summer Italy resident, he brings a current and power tool driven approach to stone sculpture. Using alabaster (softer than marble), Enzo works with beginner and experienced participants in the development of classical, figurative and abstract forms. His innovative approach to sculpture helps his students make the most of their sculptural vision. Interesting sessions on stone joining and laminating to add interest to your sculpture. A concentrated and idea filled workshop. Workshop is limited to 10 participants. You will enjoy the energy and creativity of Enzo's workshop.

Enzo Torcoletti was born in Italy and attended art school there before he moved to Canada where he received a B.A. in English Literature and a B.F.A. in Sculpture and Printmaking from the University of Windsor in 1969. In 1971, he completed his M.F.A. in Sculpture from Florida State University. That same year he moved to St. Augustine, Florida, where he still resides. He maintains sculpture studios in St. Augustine, Florida and in Italy. Visit his website: www.moultriecreek.com
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METHODS & SHORTCUTS OF BLOCKING TECHNIQUES, Vince Ricci, April 16th thru 19th Wed-Sat (8 of 10 spaces left) $395
Vince Ricci is a successful sculptor who has been conducting Art Workshops in Italy for over 20 years. He joins Montoya Sculpture for the third year. Vince was an assistant to Malvina Hoffman, who was the only American to have studied with the world famous sculptor August Rodin. Mr. Ricci, a graduate of the Academia di Belli Arti of Rome, Italy, and a MFA from Tufts University, has spent a lifetime as an artist and a teacher, working as an instructor at some of the most prestigious fine art schools and universities in America. Among the list of schools he has taught at are, Boston University, Tufts University, New England School of Art and Design, and for 20 years at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Vincent Ricci has achieved international recognition for his artistic accomplishments and unique teaching technique. Vincent's work is in many collections worldwide.

Students learn how to visualize and block out both contemporary and abstract figures, allowing participants to spend more time exploring their imagery, and the surface dynamics, before they move onto finishing techniques. Explore the three successive step method. Work through basic and intermediate levels of stone carving with hand and power tools. Workshop includes stone selection, blocking, finishing techniques and discussion on mounting and display. Workshop is limited to 10 participants. Wednesday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with evening hours upon class request. Students are encouraged to bring with them to class, a Marquette (clay model), and photos or drawings of imagery that they wish to pursue. Visit his website: www.CFAeuroart.com

"Vincent was great - I had been stuck for months on several problems that he helped me to resolve. His understanding of anatomy - and ability to explain things was critical to doing figure work. The class was fantastic and I learned a lot"
D. Cary, Stuart FL

"Vince Ricci has truly mastered the art of teaching as well as sculpting. I can't remember a time where I learned & used the information in a 4-day period. This workshop is a must"
H. Gottlieb, Plantation FL

ALL WORKSHOPS INCLUDE
-10% discount on all purchases during workshop
-Instructors slide show of recent works
-Class notebook and handouts
-Shaded and night lighted facility
-Full snack bar, fruits, coffee, tea and sodas
-Tool demonstrations
-Certificate of Attendance
-Stone Carving Workshop XXXIII Tee Shirt
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4 NEW ITEMS

NEW STONE SHIPMENT HAS ARRIVED!!
– Over 30,000 pounds of stone awaiting the creativity of a Stone Sculptor. Come in and pick-out your stones, or call for a shipment.

Mold Making and Plaster Kits - Hand, Face, Torso and Architectural casting kits with refills are now available in Montoya's Store and for ordering. These will be on our website in April.

Libero Dry Cutting Electroplated Diamond Blade –“Chip-free Cutting” - This is the blade we will be using in the Limestone workshop with Dale Enochs. I had our tool rep call the main office for a specific recommendation for the best blade to cut limestone. He recommended the Libero, so I tired it. It cuts clean and crisp. I was very impressed. The Libero is designed to cut materials such as softer marbles, travertines, soapstones, alabaster, and limestone without chipping and cracking commonly associated with the dry cutting process (can also be used wet for less dust). The advanced electroplated bond outperforms any other blade when cutting softer grades of natural stone. When used on angle grinders and wet stone cutters, the Libero is aggressive and easy to use, which reduces finishing time and saves you raw material. Marble fabricators will find the Libero ideal for the intricacy of fabrication work. Sculptors will find the Libero is great to use for difficult cuts. Whether you use this blade in the shop or in the field, it brings you the quality and long life you expect from a premium blade and the convenience of accurate and precise cutting performance on softer types of natural stone. I have it in three (3) sizes in stock the 4-1/2” SKU #77006 for $64.11 - 5” SKU #77007 for $78.61 – and the 7” SKU #77008 for $104.79.

TRAPANO VIOLINO complete di archetto e punte (Violin drill with arch and points) – Just got a few of these and thought you would want to know about them. Check it out on the website www.MontoyaSculpture.com and search for SKU 89005 in the online catalog. You will see a picture of this old type tool. It's a hand drill for stone. The “violin string” winds around the barrel that spins the chisel bit. The brass rimmed wood barrel spins free of the handle above it. It comes with six chisel bits about 8 inches long. It's surprising how fast this will drill a hole in stone. Of course speed is totally in your control with the rate at which you run the bow back and forth. And talk about quiet, hardly a sound. This is the tool for the purest that only wants to use hand tools on their stone. Good for wood also. Since each chisel drill is 8 inches long you can really get the hole deep into the stone. The chisels range in width from 1/8” to just under 1/2” and includes a canvas pouch. This tool is made in Italy and is truly a crafted tool with smooth hard woods and brass fittings. You will not find this tool anywhere else in this country. $350.00 SKU #89005.

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5 CURRENT SALE

BRASS 1/2” TURN PINS (Made in Italy) - $25.80 each – SPECIAL Buy 2 get 1 FREE SKU #64002 – Remember to ask about our supply of bases for mounting.

GODDARDS MARBLE POLISH – 20% off – SALE $9.20 - Regular $11.50 - SKU #49033.- Goddards 4-1/2 oz. is specially made for use on natural and synthetic marble, stone, slate, ceramic porcelain and Formica. It is made by compounding the best selected Brazilian Camauba Wax with unique polishing agents to give maximum protective beauty. Also works on Alabaster & Soapstone.

“STONES AND MUSE” – Signed copies by the Author, Donn Smith - $10.00 each This book contains pomes and pictures by Donn Smith, a successful artist - SKU #1010.

HEAD-BUST ARMATURE 24”– 30% off – SALE $24.50 - Regular $35.00 - SKU #59999.

ALL PATINA FINISHES –15% OFF

ALL SALE ITEMS NEED TO BE ORDERED VIA PHONE, FAX OR IN PERSON.
WEB SITE ORDERS WILL NOT REFLECT THE SALE PRICE.

GIFT CERTIFICATES – Easy to buy, mail, and use. Ask your family to call us- pick what you can really use this season.

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6 UPCOMING EVENTS

MOSAIC TECHNIQUES MINI-WORKSHOP- Jeff Halverson, Mar 22nd & 23rd (Sat-Sun) 9-5, $155, Limited to 8 participants (four spaces left). Learn the basics and move into more advanced techniques. Includes layout, cutting, cast stone medallion, adhering, and grouting. Work with Italian mosaic glass tessare (tiles). Introduction to six of the opus styles. Complete one 16”x16”- ready to hang project. Fish bird, address, flower or choose your own. No experience needed, all material included. Also sample the marble cutting hammer/hardie and chopper.

STONE CARVING, FINISHING, JOINING & LAMINATING- Enzo Torcoletti, Mar 23-26 - Thur- Sun (3 spaces left)

METHODS & SHORTCUTS OF BLOCKING TECHNIQUES- Vince Ricci, April 16-19 (8 spaces left)

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7. PLEASE SEND SCULPTURE QUOTES (maybe win $25 gift certificate)
I have included a sculpture related quote at the top of this issue. I hope it is inspiring and interesting. If you have an interesting sculpture related quote please send it to me. Please include the name of the person who said it. All of the quotes that are received are being compiled into a list of quotes related to sculpture. The first batch of quotes from the first six issues has been posted to MontoyaSculpture.com. I would appreciate your help in building this list of quotes directly related to sculpture. Quotes can be from recognized sculptors of the past or from a teacher or friend. Send me your sculpture related quote, and if it is selected I will send you a Montoya Sculpture & Supply $25 gift certificate and put the quote in the next issue. Email me at Jeff@MontoyaSculpture.com Thanks

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(c)Copyright 2006 Jeff Halverson

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