Small Updates From the Studio (and Everywhere Else)

Life has felt a little chaotic lately.

Ten-hour night shifts, lack of sleep, family responsibilities, and the constant balancing act of being a young dad, assembly line worker, and sculptor have definitely left my mind feeling a little frazzled. These days, life tends to happen in exactly that order too — fatherhood first, work second, and sculpting somewhere after that. As demands grow heavier, carving time always seems to get pushed further down the list.

Still, despite the exhaustion, I’m grateful that there’s enough energy left to write about the little everyday things that make up this strange and rewarding life.

And honestly, those mundane moments are part of the journey too.

Over the last while I’ve hinted at a new venture that’s slowly taking shape, one week at a time. My excitement for it keeps building, and mentally I’m already far ahead of where I physically have time to be. There’s a strong feeling that important progress is coming soon, and I’m eager to see where it leads.

This past week wasn’t spent carving though — it was spent organizing stone.

What started as “a bit of cleanup” quickly turned into the realization that I may, in fact, be a complete stone hoarder.

Soapstone and carving material had slowly spread themselves across two sheds, parts of the basement, a massive wooden crate outdoors, and even a giant plastic storage bin. So I finally decided to build a dedicated shelving unit strong enough to hold roughly 2,000 pounds of stone.

The good news is the shelf works beautifully.

The bad news is… it’s probably still not big enough.

And that doesn’t even include the stone still sitting on the floor.

But selection matters. Finding the right stone for the right subject is a huge part of the process. Certain forms simply don’t belong in certain material, and sometimes the perfect piece sits untouched for years before revealing what it wants to become.

At least that’s what I tell myself while staring at piles of rock.

Lately I’ve also been slowly tinkering away at a new sculpture project — one with absolutely no timeline attached to it, thankfully. Some pieces simply cannot be rushed without losing something important along the way.

This one is especially delicate.

The sculpture features a loon carrying a baby loon on its back, complete with red jasper eyes and carefully etched feather patterning to capture the iconic markings of the bird. It’s a piece that demands patience and attention to subtle beauty. I haven’t really seen this concept approached quite this way before, so I’m allowing it the time it deserves.

There’s still a long road ahead on it, as you’ll probably notice from the progress photos.

And although I probably shouldn’t even mention it yet, there’s also a five-foot hardwood egret slowly emerging in the backyard studio. Steel legs, mounted onto a hand-hewn reclaimed pine base. Another ambitious project with a very long way to go.

That story can wait for another update.

For now, these are just small glimpses into the process — little updates from a busy life still trying to make room for sculpture whenever possible.

Long way to go yet.

— Wesley Booker
White Raven Sculptures