Finishing Daphne

There are many leaves to Daphne and I have been refining them. You can see that these leaves are too blocky and the edges are too hard.

I used a roloc and die grinder to refine them, this gives them more movement and a softer feel.

I use a roloc to finish around the base of the piece.

I begin putting a final texture to the Daphne's roots and bark.

I have been refining leaves as well as deepening shadows through the leaves. I have to go all around the piece looking for areas that need work.

Don used the hydraulic chainsaw to cut sections out of a block of stone for a new commission he is doing. He suggested I try the chainsaw to cut corners off of a block of stone that I plan on carving after I am finished with Daphne.

The saw requires water and so it's best to use it during nice weather. And the nice weather is running out fast, so I decided to bite the bullet ...

I have done a preliminary model of a woman 11 feet tall and laid out where it is in the stone. The section I am cutting is just above her head. It is best to leave too much stone than to risk cutting into the form.

I am cutting the section from behind the head to the shoulder, staying a few inches wide of where the shoulder will be.

The chainsaw is hydraulic. The power unit is gasoline powered, you can see a small part of it in the lower right corner. There are hydraulic hoses from the power unit to the chainsaw and a water hose which of course limits this tool to above freezing temperatures. The saw weighs 25 pounds and the hoses weigh a bit, but it wasn't bad at all.

Two cuts of stone. The chainsaw is an amazing tool. The cuts took about an hour total.
Now I'm looking around at other stones that need corners cut off....

A ladybug sippin' soda.