Wellbeing: Carve a Green Man or Green Woman from Limestone

Suitable for adults and young people 16 years or over.

In this course you will carve a Green Man or Green Woman motif from a UK sourced limestone, working over six Tuesday evenings. You’ll use hand tools to carve a multi layered relief image from a tablet of stone 20 x 20cm. Templates will be provided by the tutor, though you are welcome to customise the design and make it your own.

The Green Man is a decorative motif of a face made of or surrounded by leaves, found carved into buildings from the 11th century onwards. It represents the power of nature and the yearly cycle of rebirth and regrowth.

This is a practical, hands-on class with a supportive atmosphere, suitable for beginners with an interest in art or anyone who enjoys working with their hands, as well as people with some experience of stone carving. You do not need any particular skills, simply the ability to hold tools in both hands- a chisel in one, and a dummy (stonemason’s hammer) in the other.

• An introduction to the green man theme
• Setting out the design on the stone
• Using a flat chisel and point clear away the background
• Creating the illusion of depth and overlapping shapes
• Making textures with a claw chisel
• Using a riffler to smooth your design and add detail.

Material list
Stone, tools, and safety equipment will be provided and are included in the cost. Please bring an apron and wear old clothes and stout shoes which cover your toes and protect your feet.

Dates
6 weeks from 31 October 2023
31 October 7 , 14, 21, 28 November 5 December