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 are also one day taster days 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 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 next stonemasonry course with available places is on Wednesday the 6th of March.
View the complete 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.
The next lettering course with available places is on Thursday the 7th of March.
View the complete 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.
The next carving course with available places is on Wednesday the 10th of April.
View the complete 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.
The next taster course with available places is on Monday the 11th of March.
View the complete current list of one day stone carving courses.
Gift Certificates
Gift certificates are also available for both the one day taster courses, and for any of the three day courses. The certificates are valid for up to one year after the purchase date, so if you're looking for an unusual gift for the person with everything, visit the three day gift certificates page or the one day gift certificates page for further information.