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Creative Carving

Chris Pellettieri talks about traditional stone carving

Images Courtesy of Luigi Pellettieri.

Chris Pellettieri

Scholastic Art: What is your job?

Chris Pellettieri: I’m a stone carver. Stone carving is the term used for decorative sculpture. To most people, it refers to stone shaping or architecture.


SA: How did you get started as a stone carver?

CP: After college, I did some construction work—modern, contemporary construction work—and that helped me discover that I like using tools. I learned about a stone carving apprenticeship program at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. I was chosen for the apprenticeship and fell in love with the craft. As soon as I tried it, I realized there was a chance for me to feel fulfilled and excited by my work.

Images Courtesy of Luigi Pellettieri.

How does Pellettieri experiment with form?

SA: Do you always work on restoring cathedrals?

CP: I thought I’d work at the cathedral for the rest of my life, but unfortunately they closed their construction project. I had to go out on my own and find ways that I could use the skills I had learned and find opportunities to keep doing what I wanted to do.


SA: What sorts of projects do you take on as a stone carver?

CP: Some of the first jobs I got were inscribing letters in stone and doing a garden fountain carved to look like seashells. I’ve worked on fireplace mantles, which use geometric stone masonry skills but also use decorative carving to make them pretty and interesting.


SA: Do you work closely with your clients?

CP: Yes, I connect with people who need something carved. Sometimes an architect will show me exactly what they want. But very often my clients are homeowners or even architects who want me to help them design something. It’s a challenge to design something to suit their needs, stay within the amount of time I have, and make sure it fits the budget. To actually execute it is often a big challenge too. But that keeps me excited.

Images Courtesy of Luigi Pellettieri.

Pellettieri works by hand with traditional tools.

SA: What’s the most important skill for a stone carver to have?

CP: You need a lot of patience. It’s a slow medium. Media like clay and paper can be transformed radically in much less time. Stone, even when you use machines, is still a pretty slow material. And I mostly use traditional methods—working with chisels—which is even slower.


SA: What do you love about your job?

CP: We’re lucky if we have a thing we find in life that we love. My thing happens to be stone carving. It matters a lot to me to keep it alive. It’s been an important part of human culture all over the world for millennia. To me it’s worth preserving.


SA: What advice do you have for students interested in stone carving?

CP: Look for other stone carvers. There’s an energy when people get together for the same reason. Try to find people who know more than you who can share their experiences with you. And form a group with others who are just learning, because it’s hard to do things in a solitary way.

Images Courtesy of Luigi Pellettieri.

Where have you seen carved sculptures like this?

SA: Did you study film or photography in school?

EK: I studied film in college, but honestly a lot of what I’ve learned over the years is self-taught. You learn the basics in school, but it’s a creative medium, so there’s room for experimentation. A lot of it is just going out, shooting, and learning from your mistakes.


SA: Do you have advice for students interested in a job like yours?

EK: Do what you love. I always knew that I wanted to make outdoor films, and I didn’t deviate from that path. I had a lot of friends who were changing majors and trying to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives. I stuck with it, and I’ve never had a bad job. I have a lot of friends who are successful, but they’re not as happy as they could be. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

How To Become an Stone Carver

Getting Started:

  • Study sculpture and experiment with sculpting techniques
  • Take classes to learn how to work with traditional tools
  • Get an apprenticeship with a master carver

 

Education: Some stone carvers have a bachelor’s degree in fine arts or architecture. Others apprentice with master carvers.

 

Salary: Stone carvers earn from $35,000 to $165,000, depending on experience and location.

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