Natasha Smith
Stone Carver
& Letter Cutter

Inspired by the natural world, my work is intuitive and passionate.

Several themes run through my work: shells, clouds, hollows, feathers….

A perennial fascination is with spoons - they symbolise so many things - nurture, love, civilisation, what makes us human. Fossils too; and I have created several ‘fossils’ for our time.

I find that the constraints of working with one material lead to a distillation of ideas. I like to interpret small soft things into hard massive stone. I love the solidity and antiquity of stone. I often combine form and lettering.

My practice has recently extended to working with paint and mixed media - here is a contrast to the strictures of stone which is compelling and exciting. However, I will always return to stone.

My story in a grain of sand-stone…

I grew up in a new town, surrounded by the uniformity of man-made materials which perhaps explains why I am so drawn to stone

Stone has history, inherent beauty; timeless and pure, even a drystone wall speaks…..

So here I am 30 years after my first encounter with carving in Blackburn Cathedral on my Art Foundation Course. I changed tack from sculpture to a course in architectural carving and lettering down in Dorset and have been hitting stone ever since. It has taken me to Vienna and the Hebridean islands before coming to rest in the beautiful Scottish Borders where I have a workshop in the village of Ancrum.

Courses in Letter-cutting

I run courses for beginners in carving and letter-cutting, passing on my enthusiasm and knowledge for lettering and carving in stone.

In this digital era, stone-carving is the perfect antidote to the screen we all spend so much time with. Stone-carving is therapeutic, creative, ecological. A recharge for the soul. It reconnects me to the world and if you come for a course it will reconnect you too.

What more can I say? Let the stone speak.
Welcome to my world of stone!

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Memorials and Sundials

Here I create memorials, sundials, sculptures and lettering to commission.

I make headstones to commission using slate or sandstone. Listening sensitively to your wishes and gently guiding you through the process, I will create a beautiful hand-carved stone. I offer an alternative to the ubiquitous granite, and this very positive act can provide some solace at this time. As well as traditional headstones I can carve a bench, or sundial as a memorial to your loved one.

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Sundials

A Sundial, a unique piece of garden architecture; the ultimate statement piece for no-maintenance gardening!

I create sundials to commission based on your particular latitude and design brief. Each sundial I create is unique. A sundial can be made as a special memorial or simply as a focus in the garden. Unlike a garden centre sundial, mine will tell the correct time, when the sun is out as they are site-specific.

My sundials have a slate face, a stainless steel gnomon and a wooden or stone base. There is scope for text in addition to the dial and I will work closely with you to bring your ideas to fruition.