© Evelyn Whittle

A self-taught artist, Evelyn decided to break away from her usual painting in various mediums, and tried soapstone carving. “Dolphins at Play” is her second attempt at carving which she finds fascinating. They took about three weeks to complete. The carving measures 14cm x 15cm.

“The only draw-back”, she says, “is that it is quite messy. I bought a book, some soapstone, basic tools and “had a go”. My first effort was an elephant that has been described as “naive” – personally I love it! The dolphins I put more thought into by sketching them first. I worked from the sketch although they didn’t turn out exactly the same, as you have to carve the stone the way it wants to go. It has a tendency to suddenly split.”

“I’ve got more projects I would like to try” she adds, “but first I must tidy my studio, at least then I’ll be able to find my tools!”

Soapstone is ten times softer than diamonds, but is, nevertheless, quite hard. Some artefacts go back over 3000 years, yet are still in perfect condition today. It is used in engineering and building industries, as well as in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. It is mined in China, Africa, Iran and Egypt to name but a few countries.

Evelyn is a member of Mansfield Arts and Crafts of Symington. You can learn more at its website www.mansefieldarts.com/MansefieldArtgroup.html