Designing and Carving a Fireplace

Walter S. Arnold, Sculptor / Stone Carver
Chicago, U.S.A.

If your browser supports VRML 3D models, you can click the above image to see a model of this fireplace. The file is large and detailed, weighing in at 260k. Below is the actual fireplace, installed in Apr. 2000. Compare it to the model.
42-K
Below are two pictures. The first is a 3D computer rendering that I created during the design phase. The lower photo shows some of the actual carved limestone pieces, laid out on my studio floor.

This shows the work in progress. Click for a detail photo of the keystone- the color is more accurate in this photo, but the lighting doesn't show the raised center of the key.
Here is the cornice- the corners are a separate piece of stone from the center; here you see the joint between the blocks of stone.	Pointing the capital. This is an ancient method of measuring from a model, a method of 3D digitizing that dates back thousands of years. It is described in more detail on my Tools of the Trade page in the resource section of this site.
	The fireplace is finished. Before shipping it to my client I laid out the 22 pieces of stone on my studio floor. This was to check that everything was properly aligned, and to confirm that all details looked correct and worked in concert to create a unified design. Installation took place in April, 2000.
Other pages showing work in progress and the creative process: Creating a pair of gargoyles. A series of panels of student athletes for the Univ. of Chicago Lab School. Indiana Gargoyles the steps to create a gargoyle for a museum exhibit

Most of the fireplaces you see on this site are original creative designs © Walter S. Arnold and are not to be reproduced without permission.

My fireplace pages:

Introduction to my fireplaces
Hand Carved Fireplaces in limestone and marble - learn about their variety
Fireplace Gallery - traditional fireplaces
Modern Fireplaces - contemporary designs
Marble Fireplaces - Carved in Italian and Portuguese marble.
Affordable Fireplaces - simple and elegant
Available Fireplaces - ready now for installation in your home
New Fireplaces - My most recent fireplaces
The story of a fireplace - from design through carving to installation.
Fireplace in 3D - Progress drawings and photos of a large fireplace
Friezes - Examples of center relief panels from my fireplaces
Keystones - Keystones for fireplaces, entryways and windows.

Unless otherwise specified these fireplaces are carved in Indiana limestone. I work in a variety of different limestones and marbles. Since my work is custom, hand carved to order, the prices depend on factors such as design, size, detailing, and type of stone or marble. Therefore I do not have a standard catalog or price list.

Site Map
GALLERY			RESOURCES
Gargoyles Gargoyles, grotesques, green men & their history	Fireplaces Different styles & designs in marble & limestone		Creating Gargoyles The sequence of carving gargoyles	Carving tools and techniques How a block of stone becomes a sculpture
Latest Work! What's new	A Stone Menagerie Carved animals		Who am I? Biography of the artist	Marble Images, 200 varieties
Custom Signage	Public Sculpture		Stonecutters History- the Union in America
Religious Sculpture	Garden Sculpture		Teachers Q&A Students questions about gargoyles and carving
Small Sculpture	Large Sculpture		Scalable Bitmap Fonts
Architectural Ornament	VRML 3d Sculpture		Links to other sites	The Gargoyle Newsletter
The Gargoyle Store			Gargoyle Postcards
Own your own gargoyle! Easy, secure, on-line ordering			Send free e-cards to your friends and loved ones.
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© 1994-2008 Walter S. Arnold, Sculptor/Stone Carver
Chicago, USA	(847) 568-1188 (312) 226-1141	E-Mail your comments

Web site design and graphics by Walter S. Arnold