People occasionally ask me if I accept apprentices or assistants when I carve stone. Thus far, no. However, sometimes I get volunteers, as I have for the “Gymnast” marble project. Today was the first time “Tony” stuck around long enough for me to capture him on camera. Maybe it was the overcast and muggy day created by last night’s grand storm or maybe he is becoming less shy as the marble sculpture gets smaller.
Tony is not as helpful as the assistant I had for over 15 years. But doubtful anyone could compare to Zac, even if he was a dog. Zac was more into accounting, I think. He always let me know when it was time to take a break to go for a walk or just do some belly rubbing.
Tony has moved in closer than Zac ever got to my tools, though. He even stood still as I showered him with marble dust! He has some subtle spikes on his body and more busy patterns on him and an overall darker color than anoles. If you know what kind of lizard he is, I would love to know it.
When I pulled out my 1-inch pneumatic hammer and some of Vasily’s chisels to try out as I began to shape the section under the gymnast, Tony bailed on me and ran to another block of marble nearby. I am not sure if it was the noise or the vibration that made him uneasy. However, the vibration was more than I remembered, even with my anti-vibration gloves.
And Vasily always said, “It’s not in the tools. It’s in the technology…” as he pointed to his noggin. Good point, always. However, a tool that feels good in your hand and works for you cannot be all bad.
2 comments:
Have you ever seen Tony do push ups? I see little lizards like this when I hike in the desert. They'll stand perfectly still and then suddenly bounce up and down on their front legs a few times.
Hi Andrew! Yes, actually, Tony was in the middle of pushups during that last snapshot that I posted here. Too bad my photography does not well depict action!
However, unlike the green anoles, Tony does not "belch" a pink balloon - ha.
He is a cool companion. And I should start doing push-ups with him ;-)
Kelly
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