Stone carving, stone masonry, and letter cutting in stone courses taught by professionally qualified former Lincoln Cathedral Stonemason, Eilidh Fridlington.
The courses are designed for all abilities, and are particularly suitable if you’ve no prior experience of working with stone. The duration of each course is three days, with courses running on a weekly basis throughout the year. There is also a one day taster course available if you’d like a shorter introduction to carving stone.
The courses take place in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, at purpose-built workshop premises within the Terrace, situated right in the centre of the city, and the heart of Lincoln’s Cultural Quarter. A map showing the location of the workshop can be found here.
The current list of course dates can be accessed via these links:
Alternatively, continue reading below for further information about each individual course type.
Stonemasonry Courses
The introduction to stonemasonry courses will teach you the core fundamentals of architectural stonework through the working of an ovolo mould, complete with mitred returns.
The ovolo is a classical masonry mould formed from a quarter circle bound by two fillets, and can be found in numerous guises from classical architecture through to modern day builds. As well as being an architectural element, the ovolo also forms the basis of egg and dart ornamentation, and can be found as a component element in the Doric, Ionic, and Composite orders of Classical Architecture.
The stonemasonry courses use the techniques and tools that have remained unchanged for centuries, and although technology has changed, no power tools are utilised.
Examples of recent client work on the masonry courses can be found in the blog, tagged under stonemasonry and client work.
The stone used is a locally sourced Lincolnshire limestone, an easy to work, yet durable stone used for the construction of many of the local buildings. The current list of stonemasonry courses.
Letter Cutting Courses
Letters have been cut by hand into stone for thousands of years by many civilisations, with perhaps the most notable and recognisable being the Romans.
The letter cutting courses are based on the creation of V cut lettering, an incised V cut into the stone that catches light and throws shadow. This is one of the traditional methods of cutting letters, and is far removed from the modern practice of sandblasted letters through a rubberised template stuck to the face of the stone. Our letter cutting courses are both the ideal introduction to creating letters in stone, and the perfect opportunity to enhance your existing skills.
Using a hands on approach, we discuss and practice the fundamental constructs needed for successful letter cutting in both classical and contemporary styles, before applying them to the piece of lettering you’ll be taking home with you.
Examples of recent client work on the letter cutting courses can be found in the blog, tagged under letter cutting and client work.
If you’ve previous experience of cutting letters then we can add to your skill set and increase the rate at which you work. Current list of letter cutting courses.
Stone Carving Courses
As with all of the courses, the stone carving courses are ideal if you’ve never worked with stone before.
The carving courses utilise the direct carving method, so there’s no need for any preliminary drawing or model making; using this approach allows you to let your skills develop as we progress, rather than struggle with trying to copy something from the off. However, please feel free to bring along your ideas, whether they be thoughts, sketches or photographs.
Like the other three day courses, the stone used is a locally sourced Lincolnshire limestone, it’s an easily worked stone and durable outside should you wish to site your carving in the garden.
The course title is carving gargoyles and grotesques, but you’re certainly not limited to this if you’ve another idea you’d like to explore; there have been some excellent pieces of work made by previous clients along entirely different themes. Current list of stone carving courses.
One Day Taster Stone Carving Courses - Carving The Fleur De Lis
The one day taster courses are perfect if you're interested in having a go at stone carving, but don't want to commit too much time.
The taster courses focus on the creation of a relief carved Fleur De Lis, a classical historic ornamentation found in many guises. As can be seen from the picture, the fleur de lis is set back into the stone and surrounded by a border.
Although this is a one day course, the techniques and tools used are exactly the same as those on the three day carving course, this means you won't miss out on anything should you wish to continue carving at a later date. Current list of one day stone carving courses.
Gift Certificates
Gift certificates are also available for any of the three day courses, and make ideal gifts for birthdays and special occasions. The certificates are valid for courses starting up to one year after the purchase date, so if you're looking for an unusual gift for the person with everything, visit the gift certificates page for further information.
Latest Posts From The Ministry Of Stone
The latest posts covering our carving, masonry, and letter cutting courses, various commissions, and useful information for working in stone.
End Of Three Days Stone Carving With Calum
The end of this week’s Carving Gargoyles & Grotesques course with Calum. Further than a face, Calum came with no fixed idea of what he wanted to achieve. Instead, he allowed his carving to evolve as he went along; and … Continue reading
Morning Of Last Day Of Stone Carving With Calum
The morning of the last day of this week’s Carving Gargoyles & Grotesques course with Calum. Calum’s stone has morphed from Spongebob, to Frankenstien’s Monster, to it’s current state of a bit like The Last Air Bender. It’s been an … Continue reading
First Day Of Stone Carving With Calum
Half way through the first day of this week’s Carving Gargoyles & Grotesques with Calum. Calum has defined the areas for the ears, and started to push some depth around the nose to find the top of the cheeks.
Last Day Of Letter Cutting In Stone With Helen
Half way through the last day of this week’s Letter Cutting In Stone course with Helen. With fatty finished, it’s time to lip up. It’s a very nice piece of lettering so far, Helen.
End Of Day Two Of Letter Cutting With Helen
The end of day two of this week’s Letter Cutting In Stone course with Helen. Lip Up Fatty is Helen’s chosen piece; If you’re old enough to remember Bad Manners you might recognise it. Helen is using Fridlington_Fatty.ttf as the … Continue reading
End of The First Day Of Letter Cutting In Stone With Helen
The end of the first day of this week’s Letter Cutting In Stone course with Helen. As usual, the first thing to do is get to grips with the basics of lettering, straight lines and curves.
End Of A Three Day Letter Cutting Course With Josh & Jodie
The end of this weeks Letter Cutting In Stone course with Josh and Jodie. After practicing the basics, both went on to producing excellent pieces of work.
End Of Day Three Stone Carving With Ian
The end of the last day of this week’s Carving Gargoyles & Grotesques course with Ian. Ian has produced and excellent piece of work in Ancaster limestone. The only issue now is to get it through customs on his return … Continue reading