Intricarved Stone Sculpture

Cal the Stoner intricarved stone sculpture

Intricarved stone artist Cal the Stoner sculpts full time from his open-air sculpture studio in the opal mining town of Andamooka, South Australia.

Cal's body of Grampians sandstone intricarved sandstone sculptural artworks includes fifteen completed works. The Stone River series, 888, The Cube, Hedron series, Planets of Galaxy Z and the epic Andamooka Tiger.

The Andamooka Tiger is a 1.2 tonne life-size intricarved sculpture that has Andamooka rainbow matrix opal claws, tail tip, fangs and nose, honey matrix opal eyes and red rolling flash matrix opal pupils. Andamooka is the only place in the world that produces the Andamooka rainbow matrix opal.

Continuing his work with celestial bodies, (see the Planets of Galaxy Z). Work is underway on Cal's 16th intricarved piece, The Goddess.

Read Cal the Stoner's artist bio

Intricarved stone sculpture artist

Intricarved

Intricarved is an intricately carved stone sculptural technique that contains a picture/image or patterns in two or more colours created by Australian sculptor Cal the Stoner (Prohasky) in 2011. The lines, textural features and colour changes in an intricarved sculpture are those found naturally within the stone. The lines and colour variations needed for each separate stone in the sculpture are found in larger pieces of stone, Cal then uses his hammer and chisel to get the piece out and then shape it's features to form the next interlocking piece. The process repeated until the sculpture is completed. In The Andamooka Tiger’s case over 2000 times.

Though some individual stone faces are the size of a small coin they have a depth of 25mm (1 inch) to 100mm (4 inches). No stones are a thin facade like a tile, they all have depth and strength where each added stone compounds the inner strength.

A stone coming loose is impossible!

Intricately carved stone art

Up close and personal in this image from The Andamooka Tiger. You can see how each rock contains lines of red and cream-gold pigmentation occurring in the unique vein of Australian Grampians sandstone that Cal predominately works in. You can also see how the stonemason has chiseled each rock to interlock tightly into the sculpture, whilst continuing the sculptures desired image.

View Cal the Stoner's intricarved sculpture gallery

An artists journey

From St Kilda city to the Australian outback.

As the scale of Cal’s sculptures grew. Space to sculpt was required. Sculpting from a St Kilda apartment presented some challenges...

Cal moved around a variety of locations in Melbourne, including residency's at The Laneway Artspace and the Theatre Research Institute. Then a friend suggested the Australian outback opal mining town of Andamooka.

Cal promptly loaded his sculptures, stone and studio into an old bus and drove 1307 kilometres across the desert.

Read Cal the Stoner's blog

A bit about the South Australian opal mining town Andamooka

Cal the Stoner's mascot Rory perched overlooking the Andamooka desert

The outback opal mining town of Andamooka

Andamooka is a quirky opal mining town in the South Australian outback. Andamooka is located 612 kilometres north of Adelaide. Famous for it's rainbow matrix opal and the quintessential Australian desert lifestyle. In this photo Cal's tiger pal Roary, the model for The Andamooka Tiger, sits on a small rocky outcrop. Recreating a bygone scene of 'the executioner' lounging on his moss covered rocky outlook awaiting a thirsty, though wary megafauna victim.

Visit Andamooka

Andamooka rainbow matrix opal

The Andamooka Tiger claws flash the vivid colours of the Andamooka rainbow matrix opal. The sculpture features rainbow matrix claws and tail tip. Matrix opal teeth and pupils. Honey matrix eyes and black matrix nose.

The Andamooka opal field is one of the oldest opals fields in Australia. Discovered in the 1930’s. It contains a significant variation of host rock producing numerous opal variations. Observing the aptly named rainbow matrix opal. Movement of your gaze or changes in light can ignite a display of vivid flashing colour. The rainbow seemingly plays across the stone. A spectrum of light energy.

Opal mined from the Andamooka opal fields dates to the cretaceous period, when the desert was an inland sea. Andamooka derives from the Indigenous name meaning ‘large waterhole.’ When the great ancestor rainbow serpent came down to earth, the stones and pebbles turned to opals wherever its belly lay.

Andamooka underground opal showroom & mineral museum

Andamooka obervatory tours

Tour the Andamooka opal fields by day or under the desert skies with the crew: Leila, Conan and Dave the Mad Scientist from The Andamooka Observatory.

Opal mining day & stargazing nocturnal tours

Welcome! Come take a trip with us around the world of Cal the Stoner, intricarved stone sculpture

Cal the Stoner intricarved stone sculpture