Loretta Kyle

Available at the Alberta Craft Gallery - Edmonton & Calgary

“I am happiest when I have stone in my hands. I am driven to seek it out, touch it, explore it, carve it. I believe that stone is as essential to our lives as water and air. Stone teaches patience, to think before acting or speaking. Its hardness slows me down, grounds me. Birds represent every human emotion from absolute revulsion to utter awe. I enjoy freeing them from blocks of stone.”

Loretta Kyle (Bonnyville, AB) has been carving stone for almost twenty years. She uses many different types of stone; Alabaster, Brazilian soapstone, African Kisii stone, and Quebec Serpentine.

The soapstone has a hardness of 1 on the Mohs Scale and damages easily. Alabaster dissolves in water and therefore fine detail is impossible to wet sand. She prefers to use Kisii stone and serpentine. The Kisii stone has a hardness of only 2 but its fine grain takes detail very well. Serpentine has a hardness of 3 or 4 and can not be scratched by finger nails like soapstone can. The finer the grain of the serpentine the harder it is and the better it is for fine detail.

ACC Exhibitions: For the Love of Craft (2010)