Listening to a chat show on the radio just now, I heard the host ask the famous guests if they ever had 'holiday jobs' and what they were. I got to wondering about my 'holiday jobs' in between term time at art school, and suddenly realised that I have spent my entire life doing holiday jobs. I think what has happened is that I began being a stone-carver thinking that I would just do it for a couple of years until I decided what I really wanted to do. That was about 40 years ago, and I still haven't decided.
You must a) really enjoy it and b) be pretty good at it.
ReplyDeleteI worked on the paddle boats on Frith Beach when I was 16.... and resigned after 1 day when I was thrown into the boating lake by a gang of 15 year old liverpudlian girls
ReplyDeleteWhat does the big round stamp tool do?
ReplyDeleteStick with the holiday job; it suits you!
ReplyDeleteIf I wasn't good at it by now, Raz... Not so sure about the enjoyment - sometimes, most times...
ReplyDeleteThat sounds horrendous, John. It would have been bad enough if they had come from Surrey, but Liverpool...
The wooden thing is a mason's mallet, Amy - same use as a hammer, but different too. I was working in Florida with one once, and the carpenter came up and said, "I've got a hammer you can borrow if you want. Better than that lump of wood you've just picked up".
Ok - all I need now is a holiday to wrap around the other 50 weeks.
The simplicity of the tools and the skill of your hands have produced some fantastic pieces, Tom, holiday job or whatever!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could be a celebrity blogger, living on donations from grateful commentators?
ReplyDeleteSome of my tools are a bit more sophisticated, Moll, I have to admit. At the moment, I am exclusively using diamonds attached to an electric motor ( the stone is BLOODY hard and fragile), and lots of them. Three out of the four tools above are proper Georgian, but still in use. The dividers are 18th century, and the chisel is from around the same time. My air compressor dates from around 1948.
ReplyDeleteI'll send you a donation address, Mise.