Spontaneous Stone Sculpture
Updated: 11/10/23
I love having the opportunity to watch artists work. As often as I can, I try to find myself in the proximity of people practicing their craft. One such artist is Jason Jaspersen. Jason has a magnetic quality about him, and on any given day, you'll often find students nearby, engaged in conversation, developing their own work, or simply enjoying the residual effect of being around other artists.
One of the wonderful qualities that Jason possesses is his commitment to practicing his craft. He clearly demonstrates what it means to be an artist, and today we had a great demonstration. Jason was outside, continuing a stone carving project started by one of his students and apprentices, Shawn Bjerke. It was instantly apparent that this type of work attracts attention. David Norris, Bethany’s Director of Visual Communication and a fantastic photographer and designer, was chatting with Jason when I stopped by. Upon my arrival, I handed him my camera, and he captured the first two images in the series. As he photographed another Bethany faculty member, Ann Fredrickson, was drawn in. In the way Jason does, he encouraged her to try her hand at stone carving. This is what Jason does so well; he takes people from being observers to participants.
As I continued to photograph, my attention was drawn to students who joined Jason in the pursuit of putting chisel to stone. I was surprised, but I really shouldn't have been, to find out that the students were doing this out of their own volition. What an exciting thing to see students choosing to do difficult and challenging work with the sole goal of learning to understand their tools. This excites me!
When I had finished my short time photographing, I went to my office, packed up for the day, and headed out. On my way out, I saw Jason again, this time completely covered in dust from the sculpture. I wish I had captured an image that so clearly showcased an artist steeped in their work.
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