Barbara Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth (1903 – 1975)

Wakefield Hepworth Gallery. UK.

If you look closely, at the picture on the wall behind, you can see her carving.

These are unfinished pieces. They particularly interest me because one can see running grooves from her gouges on the surface of the wood. The gouge has been used across the grain and this is the way I work, and how I teach students to work, in the roughing out or 'bosting' stage of a carving. 

Working across the grain like this allows the chips of wood to fall away; you don't have to worry whether you are with or against the grain. You'll see me working in this way a lot on our website.

You can also see how she is feeling for her final surface with her gouge as she goes along. Another great techniqu. Cutting to the chase.