Name: Carving The Fleur De Lis
Start: 2019-12-07T10:00:00+00:00
End: 2019-12-07T16:00:00+00:00
Location: The Terrace

Stone carving, stone masonry, letter cutting in stone, and sculpture 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 the masonry, carving, and letter cutting courses is three days, the abstract sculpture courses are two days, and the taster carving courses are one day.

All of the courses run on a weekly basis throughout the year with dates added to the site six months in advance. The website is fully automated and the advertised dates and places available are correct at all times.

All payments are made quickly and securely online via PayPal. Please note that you do not need to have a PayPal account to pay, as all major credit and debit cards are also accepted.

Gift certificates are also available for all of the one, two, and three day courses, and make excellent presents for birthdays and special occasions.

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.

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 Saturday the 7th of December.

View the complete current list of one day stone carving courses.

Abstract Sculpture Courses

These two day professionally taught abstract stone sculpture courses are an excellent introduction to creating form and movement in stone.

The emphasis of each course is to enable you to explore your ideas and transfer them in to stone; there’s no set path to follow, and you’re not restricted to following an existing design. You’ll be guided through the various processes of working stone, and the tools and methods used at each stage.

This is a fantastic opportunity to create your own piece of art, and at the end of the course you’ll take home with you a piece of work to be proud of.

The stone used is a local Lincolnshire limestone, an easy to work stone that retains fine detail; it’s perfect for carving, and the material of choice for many of the historic buildings around the county, including the iconic Lincoln Cathedral.

The sculpture courses are aimed at all abilities, and are particularly suitable if you’ve no prior experience of working with stone. The atmosphere in the workshop is always relaxed, and leads to a positive experience for all.

The next sculpture course with available places is on Wednesday the 11th of December.

View the complete current list of abstract sculpture courses.

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 Tuesday the 10th of December.

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 Wednesday the 18th of December.

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 Tuesday the 14th of January.

View the complete current list of stone carving courses.

Gift Certificates

Gift certificates are also available for both the one day taster courses, the two day sculpture 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 for the stone masonry, stone carving, and letter cutting courses, the two day gift certificates page for the abstract sculpture courses, or the one day gift certificates page for the taster stone carving courses for further information.

Special Offers

Various courses are occasionally offered at reduced prices; these can either be found advertised on the individual course lists, or collected together on the offers page. Offers are subject to availability and the list changes on a regular basis.

Latest Posts

The blog section of the website is where you'll find posts showing the progress of clients during courses, various other items of stonework produced in the workshop, and information relevant to working with stone.

If you’d like an idea of what you could achieve, them please browse though the various sections.

Carving The Fleur De Lis With Jill And Jean

The morning of today’s taster stone carving course with Jill and Jean. Both are progressing well with their Fleur De Lis in Ancaster limestone.

Morning Of A Taster Stone Carving Course With Carol

The start of today’s taster carving course with Carol. Carol’s Fleur De Lis is progressing well. As can be seen, we’ve put tape on the end of the chisel and drawn eyes on it; this seems a very simplistic approach … Continue reading →

End Of Two Days Abstract Stone Sculpture With Brian

The end of the last day of this week’s abstract sculpture course with Brian. I think Brian has produced a brilliant piece of sculpture in his Lincoln limestone, what do you think? There’s some excellent movement in the hair, and … Continue reading →

Day Two Of Abstract Sculpture With Brain

The start of the second day of a two day abstract sculpture course with Brian. Brian’s subject is an abstract profile / cameo of a male face in Lincoln Cathedral silverbed limestone. Brian hasn’t carved stone before, and has continued … Continue reading →

Abstract Sculpture With Brain, Day One

An excellent first day of this week’s abstract sculpture course with Brian. Brian’s subject is a relief / cameo representation of an upwards looking male face in Lincolnshire limestone. So far he’s made an excellent job of defining a strong … Continue reading →