<<<< slates

This is one of the phyllite carvings I produced during my Shetland residency, phyllite being a coarse-grained type of stone, that splits easily, similar to slate. The stone is indigenous to Shetland and Scalloway in particular as there is a large quarry just outside the town where the stone is quarried for aggregate usage.

Gaet is a Shetlandic word for path and the carvings I did in this stone try to utilise the variety of colours in the layers of stone, the blue-grey layer being exposed to describe a pathway. I thought minimalism was also a good approach in carving with this stone as its natural texture, form and colour was so appealing. The photos show the rock in its 'wet-look' form, when dry the stone is a pale grey.