Blog

I enjoy writing. It helps me clarify my thoughts. Every sculpture I create is really a story I find irresistible that finds expression in stone.

I usually have a lot of excess brain space when I am sanding and finishing a stone sculpture so I begin to write the blog for that piece in my mind. Having done quite a bit of research for each sculpture, I start by riffing on ideas.

I define the most important aspect of the creation process. Sometimes it is the story of the animal. Sometimes it is an experience I had with a particular individual. Often it is the story of the making of the sculpture. Every picture is worth at least a thousand words.

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Lastest Entry

Coccinella Novemnotata . . . . (C-9 Mini)

Translucent Orange Alabaster
on Yule Marble and Walnut
6 x 5 x 5 inches
📷 Photo by Ellen Woodbury
© 2025 Ellen Woodbury

Status: Acquired/Sold

August 3, 2025 — No Comments

Inspiration

Coccinella Novemnotata is a sculpture celebration of the nine-spotted ladybug. C-9 is the voracious aphid-eating ladybug, the bug who gives all the other ladybug species a good name.

I made a large version of this basic design, titled “C-9 of North America”, a couple of years ago using translucent orange alabaster, white marble, and black marble to create an opulent, graphic ladybug.

A Test

Coccinella Novemnotata is also a sculpture celebration of my vision, literally. Last year I had a problem with one of my eyes, which has since improved. I wanted to carve a simple exact form, one that you could easily tell if it was incorrect in shapes and proportions, as a test to see if I could, indeed, see with all the accuracy I had a year ago.

I chose to revisit C-9 because I wanted to make sure I could create consistent round forms and see small details. It was a nerve-wracking experience because my eyes are my best tools, along with my hands. To lose my vision would be devastating.

Happy Results

The forms turned out exactly right, I passed my test and am quite happy with the results. Both curved and flat surfaces were easy to see, volumes were quickly adjusted, lumps and bumps were obvious, easy to see and fix. Perspective was true, not confusing from any angle. I was able to realize my mental vision in this gorgeous stone; I didn’t have to stress and strain to see what I was doing.

Forward

Having passed my test, I will go forward with confidence. I have a lot of sculptures yet to make. To speak with one’s own voice through one’s own art is a most rewarding experience, one that I cherish, and one that I will continue for a long time to come.

Excerpts of Other Recent Entries

The Sloth and the Hummingbird: A Friendship of Opposites

Cippolino Marble,
Translucent Orange Alabaster,
Black Onyx and Bronze
on Bubinga Wood and Marble
17 1/2 x 14 x 7 inches
© 2025 Ellen Woodbury

Status: Private Commission (NFS)

August 3, 2025 —

Blog post to follow shortly.

A Bear for All Time

Sivec Marble
on Carrara Marble and Granite
13 1/2 x 13 x 9 1/2 inches
© 2024 Ellen Woodbury

Status: Acquired/Sold

August 4, 2024 —

“A Bear for All Time” is a stone sculpture expression of my reflections on geologic and immediate time. As a former character animator, I am time-challenged, my perception of time is distorted. I know the duration of a frame of film (1/24th of a second), but not that of an hour. When sculpting, an hour flies by in a frame, in the wink of an eye. Time is precious. Do we have time? The past is composed of eons of . . .

Window

Status: Acquired/Sold

August 2, 2024 —

“Window” is a stone sculpture glimpse into the wonders of the natural world and the metaphors of life as they relate to me, my cat, and the outside world. Inspiration My stone sculptor friend, Carol, moved to Italy in 2023 and sold me her stash of Translucent Orange Alabaster. What a treasure trove! Among her small boulders was this elegant slab. I have never had such a big raw slab of orange from which to create a sculpture. The surfaces . . .

Nightingale

Status: Acquired/Sold

April 20, 2024 —

“Nightingale” is a stone sculpture expression of the symphonic song of the nightingale, brought to life in a myopic marble that equates vibrant sight to glorious sound. Inspiration I read somewhere that the song of the nightingale is thought to relieve stress. One can find its virtuosic vocalizations in soothing nature videos. I wanted to make a sculpture that might relieve some of that negative energy. Ironically, I found the making of this sculpture to be both stressful and jubilant. . . .