Workshops set in stone

Visitors to the workshop with their sculptures.

Stone carving workshops, led by Susheila Jamieson, are popular adult only and family classes, and they are available to book now, allowing visitors to unleash their creativity amidst a captivating garden.

With help and guidance from the talented sculptor, Susheila, participants can create a bespoke sculpture to take home to their gardens with pride. The workshop introduces participants to stone carving techniques and tools, they can select for themselves the stone they wish to work with. After a demonstration, the carving starts.

Following a very successful initial workshop last week, participants were delighted with their creations.

One visitor explained: “I can’t believe that I managed to achieve so much in a day.”

Many described the class as therapeutic and calming for the mind.

Susheila is a professional sculptor and arts educator primarily carving stone and wood and over the last 15 years she has run stone carving and mosaic workshops. Aspects of nature and the wider landscape inspire her work, which is often described as tactile as there is always lots of attention to detail.

Susheila is no stranger to Dawyck, she has created 20 extraordinary sculptures for the garden, now featured in the sculpture trail, A Delicate Balance, running until the end of the season, featuring works of art inspired by feelings of strength and fragility in nature.

Talking about inspiration on what to carve in the class, Susheila explained: “I usually suggest people think about what they might like to carve before coming to the class and bring any source of information or models. Some participants may like to carve a relief, this is where a design is drawn onto the surface of the stone and the background is carved out.”

Curator of Dawyck, Graham Stewart, concluded: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Susheila this year with the inclusion of the sculpture trail and stone carving workshops for the 2022 season. At a local level this type of initiative helps drive our visitor footfall and also enhances significantly the overall quality and value of the visitor experience.”