Doug Selig, Ancaster, ON
I have picked up rocks for as long as I can remember, so I guess I have been doing this for close to 50 years. There is something that fascinates me about the amazing things mother nature has taken hundreds of thousands of years to make. As a lapidary, I cut and polish stone to maximize its potential. As a smith I bend and sculpt metal to enhance the stone. As an artist I endeavor to do justice to the amazing creations of mother nature.
There are many different attributes of a rock that attract me. The colour, the texture, the shape are all part of it but it is always the potential in a rock that captures my imagination. I am still learning about, and in awe of, rocks.
I have worked as a machinist for more than 20 years. The skills and knowledge I have gained in this have translated easily to the art of lapidary. There is much overlap in the use of the tools and machinery as well as in the precision and skill involved in both endeavours. I have worked and honed my skills as a machinist but I create as a lapidary.
I now work with rocks, wire, and metal, as well as stone and glass beads and enhancements. I have worked in metals most of my life. I have developed an understanding and respect for what the metal can do and what it can become. I have learnt that through skill and careful manipulation; metal, wire and stone can be transformed into wearable fine art.
My work begins on a remote beach, hillside, or even a gravel driveway. I am first a rock hound. I have picked up rocks for as long as I can remember, so I guess I have been doing this for close to 50 years. There is something that fascinates me about the amazing things mother nature has taken hundreds of thousands of years to make. There are many different attributes of a rock that attract me. The colour, the texture, the shape are all part of it but it is always the potential in a rock that captures my imagination.
Once the rock has been discovered and brought back to my studio the real work begins. I am secondarily a Lapidary Artist.
First the rock is cleaned and slabbed or sliced to discover what is really inside. This process can be amazing and stunning in itself. The outside of a rock may only hint at what it contains. Sometimes it does not even hint and once opened it can reveal the unexpected. Sometimes a rock must be cut in a specific way to reveal it's magic. Sometimes the treasure must be cut away from the surrounding rock to realize it's potential.
Once I can truly see and not just imagine the potential in a rock, the lapidary arts let me release and realize the wonderful array of nature's beauty. I scribe, cut, grind, and polish my way through to this amazing beauty.
The final art comes in the setting, featuring and enhancing of this beauty. I am finally a jewelry artist. I work with wire and metal, as well as stone and glass beads and enhancements to turn this into a piece of wearable art.
I always seem to have lots of help and helpers with this adventure in art. From old friends to my grandsons, everyone in my life has and does contribute. My grandsons seem to have inherited the bug and constantly brings me the pretty rocks they find; usually from the driveway. This is not just a childish thing though. Friends and relatives often stop by with something interesting that has caught their eye. Many watch anxiously as I cut or polish rocks to see what will be revealed. Most point out features of the rocks very helpfully saying “yes but did you see this side”, “Maybe it is...” or something like.
This endeavour is something shared by my wife and I. She is nearly always along for rock hounding trips and often sees amazing rocks I have not explored yet. At times she is my muse making suggestions as to design elements. She is also my product tester as she “tries on” and makes sure there are no design elements that may cause difficulty.
