Jennifer Dales, Soapstone Carver and Crocheter

A creator of hand-carved s​oapstone and alabaster jewelry, alabaster and soapstone animal carvings, and, crocheted handbags, Jennifer Dales first started carving soapstone over 20 years ago, when one of her instructors at Sir Sandford Fleming College brought in a soapstone carving kit. She ordered one, and started carving the moment it arrived, with files, a pocketknife, and even a spoon at one point. "I love the texture, shine, and strength of stone, and I find working in stone to be both grounding and empowering."

I have great fun creating all my items, but if I had to pick, it would be the little pink pig family, and of course the pink elephants.

When not carving or crocheting, Jennifer plays online computer games with her fiancé, sister, and father. She also loves reading (science fiction and fantasy for the most part), and is an avid amateur photographer. "My jewelry and carvings are almost exclusively animals, although I also work in abstract shapes and symbols. I also tend to follow pagan themes and symbols in my stonework. There's no real theme to my crochet work - I just want to make fun and useful things."

Jennifer works out of her home, crocheting inside during the winter, and carving outside on the deck or in the garage during the summer. She often crochets while watching TV, gaming, or Skyping with friends and family. When carving stone however, she prefers to work with only the sounds of the outdoors.

"Looking at the work of other artists frequently gives me ideas for my own work, and I like to experiment with techniques in order to reproduce an effect I've seen elsewhere. But my greatest inspiration comes from nature - seeing the curve of a wing, or the slope of a shoulder in the raw stone, then working out how to reveal the rest of the animal." When asked what's the most difficult part of the process, Jennifer says, "The MESS! Stone dust is bad for your breathing, pervasive, and next to impossible to get out of your hair." Her favourite pieces that she has created are her blue-cloud alabaster chalice and golden alabaster horse.

"The best compliment I have every received was from another artist I met at a craft show. I very much admired this person's work, and when they looked at my own work, they were very complimentary, and said I may actually be a better carver than themselves. That kind of positive feedback from another accomplished artists is golden! My carving and crochet are more than hobbies to me - they are therapy. A few years ago I had a mental and emotional breakdown, and am still recovering. My crafts are calming and meditative, and help me keep my mind balanced and on track. I would continue to carve and crochet even if I never sold another piece."

You can meet Jennifer at The Artisan Fair on May 5th at 90 Hunter St East, between 10am and 2pm!