Starting the face of "Discovery"

After the stones are moved away from the block, work can begin on carving the face. At this point sections of stone have been removed using a hydraulic chainsaw.  Now angle grinders with diamond tipped blades will be used to remove stone.
The first thing is to be done is to find the tip of the nose.  This is the position furthest out on the face.  Measuring on the model (how high up and how far over from the left side) a mark is placed on the stone. The relative position of the point of the chin is also determined (though it is much further back from the nose) so that an axis can be determined and a line drawn to represent this axis. Measuring over from this line,another line, parallel to the axis line and just past the edge of the face is drawn.  From that line to the edge of the stone is a section of stone that can safely be removed and the side of the face roughly carved in.

A side view of the stone removal from the side of the face.

I measure the distance from the nose to the forehead on the model, this tells me I need to remove about 6 inches of stone. The line across the top of the stone and down the side is the cut I will make.  The marks across show the area I want to remove.

I use a 9 inch angle grinder to cut strips off. I then use the grinder to cut the surface flat.  The flat surface helps me to get a better measurement.

Some of the stone has been removed, there is still more to go...

The nose needs to be cut back at an angle, I have drawn the line to cut on the stone (it's a bit hard to see).

The nose is angled back, Now I need to taper the sides.

Lots more work to go, but she's on her way...

This is the bottom of the left arm.  An outline of the model was graphed out then that graph was drawn onto the stone.  Then the form has been partially cut out.  Eventually, a crane will be brought out to right this block so that the piece can be finished.

It's finally spring.  The winter wasn't too bad, not very cold or much snow it just seemed to go on forever.  Now at last temperatures are pleasant and flowers are blooming again.  This is a stand of  Henbit.

Deer come to eat the sunflower seed and cracked corn I put out for the birds.

I thought this halo around the sun was interesting.....