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 Free Hand Stone Carving Workshop: The Torso with Gianluca Giarrizzo

$1,000.00

Instructor: Gianluca Giarrizzo
Dates: June 29-July 3, 2026
Times: 9 am–4:30 pm
Workshop Location: Chandler Studio, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts
Directions and Parking: Registered students will receive detailed information before the workshop.
Levels/Ages: This workshop is open to all levels, participants are not required to have prior stone carving experience. It is for ages 18+.

Register

This workshop will introduce students to the basic tools and techniques of carving a torso in limestone using the Free Hand Method. Each student will carve a torso of their own design or chosen reference in high relief or in the round. Students will learn how to approach the reductive process by working directly in stone through use of manual hand tools. The “Free Hand Method” allows students to carve without the need for an exact copy of the reference model;  it instead serves as a guide.

 For visual reference, each student will need to bring a model (clay, plaster, etc.), drawings, and/or images of the chosen torso to start the project. The technical hands-on components of carving stone will be supplemented with brief discussions covering various artwork examples and different approaches in stone sculpture, from ancient practices to contemporary.

Please note that registration for this workshop is non-refundable and does not include supplies or materials; please see the Terms and Conditions for details before making the final purchase.

Questions? admissions@lymeacademy.edu or call 860-434-5232 ext. 202.

What You Will Learn

Students in this workshop will learn:

  1. How to carve a torso by eye from observation of a reference (clay model and/or drawings/images) with the Free Hand Method;
  2. How to correctly use manual tools for each stage of the carving process;
  3. Various approaches and techniques for carving a relief;
  4. Exposure to basic overview of additional carving methods within stone sculpture;
  5. Exposure to overview of historical and contemporary examples of stone sculpture;
  6. The steps and materials necessary to take a work to a “finished” stage.

Supplies and Materials

Supplies

Limestone block

Note: the registration fee does not include stone. Students are required to pre-purchase limestone in advance through the school store.

Safety Equipment 

*Required: Particulate Respirator Mask (disposable or re-useable)

*Required: Safety Glasses (shatter-proof) 

*Recommended: Work Gloves (thin – commonly: Polyurethane or Nitrile coated) 

 Tools

 Hammer (1.5 lb)

 Point Chisel (small)

Tooth Chisels – 4 or 5 Tooth Chisel (small) 

 4 Tooth Finishing Chisel (flat teeth) 

Flat Chisel (small) 

Rasp (7 in., curved side and a flat side) 

Lead Holder (5-6 mm for drawing on stone) 

Terms, Conditions and Policies

Registration and Enrollment Information

Registration and enrollment for workshops operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Full Payment Required:
    Registration must be paid in full at enrollment to secure a spot in the workshop. Registrants without payment or payment arrangements will not be on the roster.
  • Payment Plan Option:
    If you would like to arrange a payment plan, please email caitlin@lymeacademy.edu for more information and assistance in setting one up.

Workshop Refund Policy

Please review the following refund policy for workshops.

  1. 72-Hour Grace Period:
    Students may request a full refund for workshop registrations within 72 hours of signing up, provided that the workshop has not yet started. The refund request must be made within this 72-hour period for consideration.
  2. Non-Refundable Credit Card Fee:
    A 3.5% processing fee will be added to credit card payments. This processing fee is non-refundable.
  3. After the Grace Period:
    After the 72-hour grace period, no refunds will be issued for workshop registrations under any circumstances.

We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to contact us promptly if you have any questions or concerns regarding your registration.

Questions? 860-434-5232 ext. 202

Terms, Conditions and Policies

Artist Bio

Gianluca Giarrizzo is a figurative stone sculptor and draughtsman living and working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Giarrizzo’s primary mediums consist of marble, bronze, and ink and graphite drawings. He grew up in Wyoming and went on to receive his BA from Lewis and Clark College where he studied Sculpture and Philosophy, and an MFA in 2019 from the New York Academy of Art in Sculpture and Anatomy. Giarrizzo was selected by the New York Academy of Art to participate in the ABC Stone-sponsored Stone Carving Residency in Carrara, Italy in 2018 and again in 2019 through the Bill and Sharon Jacob Award for Outstanding Ability in Sculpture. In 2018 and 2019, he was awarded the Sculpture Scholar Award by the New York Academy of Art. Giarrizzo is an elected member of the National Sculpture Society and an Adjunct Professor at The Fashion Institute of Technology (New York) for drawing and sculpture, Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania for 3D arts, and the New York Academy of Art for stone carving. He has work in private collections across the U.S. and has been exhibited in shows and auctions nationally.

Instagram   @gianlucagiarrizzo.art

Website gianlucagiarrizzo.com

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