Featured Artist Jason Nelson

Stone sculptor Jason Nelson draws his inspiration from many sources – from antiquity to directly from the stone itself. Enjoy his work and visit his website for more from this talented artist.

 

blue whale, whale and calf, sculpture of whales

“You can’t wait for inspiration; you have to go after it with a club.” – Jack London

Some artists say that deadlines and the need to pay bills are great sources of inspiration; but, there are easier ways to make a living than carving rocks. To me, being a stone sculptor is much more than a job; it is a way to gain a small measure of immortality. I put my blood, sweat and tears into my artwork because I know that my sculptures will endure. They will still be around, long after the rest of me is gone.

 

stone sculpture

 

I am inspired by the beauty of the human figure, nature in all its myriad forms and sacred geometry.

 

AS - Life stone Nelson

 

Like almost all artists, I have been inspired and influenced by the work of others. In particular, I have been inspired by classical, baroque and neo-classical figurative sculptors. Some of my favorites are BerniniPradier and Cannova.  I have not seen their work in person. A goal of mine is to travel more, especially to Europe, to witness first-hand the splendor of their masterpieces. Only then, I think, will I be able to fully appreciate the beauty of their sculptures.

 

stone bowl with white pattern

 

I’ve also been inspired by the work of contemporary masters. A few of my favorites are Bela Bacsi,  Sabin HowardPhillipe Faraut, and  Bathsheba.

 

stone sculpture

 

I also draw inspiration directly from the stone itself. I think that ‘truth to materials’ is more important in stone sculpting than with any other medium. Before I begin carving, I like to closely study a stone specimen in an effort to discover what might be trapped inside it.

 

octopus, sculpture of an octopus

The main thing that I will be working on this winter will be my ‘Yoga for Lovers’ project. It will be a large figurative sculpture of a man and woman. I’m carving it out of a piece of Cararra Marble that originally weighed 2700 lbs (although, I will also make several secondary sculptures from large pieces that have been/are being trimmed off). This will be my largest project to date. It is being partially funded by a Northern Arts Grant from the Ontario Arts Council .

 

sculptor with tools

 

Eventually, I’d like to go beyond the creation of gallery type sculptures and break into the public art market, creating large scale installation pieces for public spaces.

 

sculpture

 

Comments

  1. Beautiful work!

  2. William Flohr says

    You obviously have the talent. Good luck with your future.

  3. i just love the octopus sculpture…the design is beautiful!!

  4. Nice work indeed.. whales are very cool and the octypus is outstanding!

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