The Andamooka Tiger
The Andamooka Tiger, is Cal the Stoner’s 15th Intricarved Grampians sandstone artwork and the most intricate in his body of work to date.
8,000 hours of intense concentration later and… Cal sculpted relentlessly for over three years. In February 2022 he completed The Andamooka Tiger.
There is nothing coincidental nor accidental about this sculpture! Each blow of the hammer and chisel is a minor study.
The form and feature of every stone is intently studied and hand crafted by the sculptor to serve it's place within the sculpture.
The year of the tiger!
Cal the Stoner had a very specific vision
He sculpted to portray a very specific moment in a tiger's natural time.
While relaxing on a large mossy rock, it is in the split second of being disturbed.
The tiger's claws have slid out, his top lips arch, muzzle crinkles and teeth bare into a snarl.
The Andamooka Tiger sculpture photo gallery, scroll left to view.
Cal and The Andamooka Tiger, perfecting the gaze.
Cal started sculpting The Andamooka Tiger in the lively town of St Kilda in August 2018.
A move was made in March 2019 to the outback opal mining town of Andamooka. Here the sculpture began it’s metamorphosis into an Andamooka opal clawed, toothed, eyed and tail tipped intricarved stone sculpture.
“A tender moment, something very rare with Andamooka tigers, but we’re pals and he had something in one of his eyes. Eyes that have a way of commanding your attention when they’re looking at you.” Sculptor's log Jan 2022
Though some of the 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. Every stone has depth and strength. What’s seen of a stone might be small, but it goes in the depth of 80mm or 3 inches.
Drawing on the artisan trade of dry stone. Cal is able to deliberately create stone artworks that tell their own story.
Sculpting The Andamooka Tiger
Roary and The Andamooka Tiger compare paws
Cal shapes the striped chest detail
The Andamooka Tiger beginnings
The structural metal base and rough skeleton were welded together by friend and collaborator, Duncan Felton. Sculpting commenced at The Theatre Research Institute warehouse in Williamstown, Victoria.
Sculpting The Andamooka Tiger
Many visitor's drop by the open-air studio to check out The Andamooka Tiger
