Art of Stone

Madeline Goold's love of wildlife inspires her to create beautifully stylised sculptures, transforming a rough chunk of stone by using centuries-old tools and techniques.

To look at her work, one might assume that Madeline had been sculpting or at least involved in art throughout her life, but in fact she only discovered that she has a talent for drawing when she helped her young children with their art projects.

"I had originally trained as a lawyer," she explains, "but when I found that I could really draw, I decided to go back to college and study fine art."

Madeline embarked on a foundation year at Stourbridge Art College, where she realised that art in general was something she had always wanted to do. "It was a massive release of creativity," she reflects. "I then went to Wolverhampton Art College, and it was there that I discovered stone. I thought at first that I wouldn't like working with it, but once I'd tried it that was that!"

She completed her second education with a Masters in Direct Carving at Birmingham's Barber Institute, and has been working as a freelance craftsperson ever since. "It's not what you might call financially rewarding, but it has given me a wonderful life," says Madeline. "That's why I'm so keen to introduce others to the craft."

To this end, Madeline offers day courses in stone carving at her elegant home in Hagley, its secluded rural setting providing excellent inspiration for both her own work and that of her pupils - most of whom are absolute beginners. "People tend to think that stone carving is a very lengthy process, but in fact you can achieve an amazing amount in just one day," she points out.

The fact that she herself discovered her artistic talents later on in life means that Madeline is an ideal person to teach others, as she recognises that many people who have had no previous involvement in arts and crafts can be nervous about unleashing their creative side.

"Stone carving is also simpler that you might think. The tools and the techniques - at least the techniques that I use - have not changed in centuries," Madeline continues. She explains that her preferred method is called 'direct carving', meaning that she carves directly into the stone rather than making a preliminary model in clay and then copying it.

"With clay sculpture, you are always adding to the form, whereas with stone you are subtracting," she says. "You find what you are looking for inside the stone - you begin with an idea in mind, and then the stone throws out an idea and you follow it. It's a combination of your own idea and what the stone gives to you."

Clearly conscious that this explanation might sound somewhat abstract, she expands further: "You do need to have a basic idea; for instance, I do sketchy 'working' drawings before starting to carve. But slowly a form will emerge - you have to be flexible and work with the stone as an originating material."

Madeline's technique ensures that each of her pieces is unique, and although she takes inspiration from nature, she does not create replicas of forms in the Beaux Arts tradition. "I could make copies, because I have the basic skills to do that, but I prefer not to," she says. "I'm not knocking stone copies - many people prefer the refinement of a model form - but I like to keep what I call the 'stony integrity' of the material."

Her earliest exhibitions were with the Society of Wildlife Artists, of which she is a member - images of birds are her speciality, and she still visits the Firth of Forth once a year to draw seabirds, using the resulting sketches and wood block prints as templates for her carvings. Madeline takes the basic shapes formed by the birds in flight and transforms them into the flowing lines of her carvings.

"At the moment I'm working on ways to use glass in my sculptures as well as stone," she says, pointing out some preliminary designs inspired by butterflies as well as birds. Madeline is able to reveal the delicate nature of these forms within the stone, which is actually a more yielding material than you might think - she works mainly with blocks of Ancaster limestone, using a set of simple tools such as a wooden mallet, chisels and files.

"There's a tool called a punch tool, which leaves certain marks in the stone, and I leave them there to show the mark of hand-carving," she explains. "I also like to leave a bit of the raw stone on show somewhere in the piece, to see where it all began."

Madeline says that people are often curious to learn about the techniques she uses, not just in carving but also in drawing - having taught this medium as well, she claims that everyone can actually draw. "You can learn about using different pencils or about perspective, but drawing really has to come from within - the important thing to remember is that your work doesn't have to be perfect or like anyone else's!"

As well as teaching the art of stone carving and participating in exhibitions, Madeline is regularly invited to speak and write on the subject all over the county - she's also been asked about art in general, wildlife drawing and her experiences as a mature student. School children have also benefited from her advice, during a series of workshops she organised around ten years ago.

"In addition to the stone-carving days, I'd like to offer team-building weekends for businesses," Madeline concludes. "I really do enjoy passing on my skills, and it's wonderful to know that at least some of the people I've taught are continuing to develop their talents."

To book a stone-carving tuition day, either for yourself or as an unusual Christmas gift for someone else, contact Madeline on 01562 886312.