I Have a New Found Appreciation For Sculptors

“We’re going to a sculpting class when we go to Athens, Greece”. This is what my husband told me a couple of weeks before our trip to Greece. I gave him a weird look and said, “A sculpting class? Yeah, sure, why not?” This wouldn’t be the first time my husband came up with something strange for us to do while we are on vacation, and it’s not the first time I’ve agreed to it either. I usually end up having fun and learning something new, but this was new and nerve-wracking. It turned out the class was with four other people I didn’t know, which made it more nerve-wracking.

This class was taught by two Greek brothers who work as sculptors. Their work is absolutely beautiful. They did a good job of explaining their technique and how they go about starting each project. There is way more to sculpting than I could have ever imagined. You know it’s not like what I’ve seen in the movies, where there is a guy with his chisel, chiseling away. It’s way more complex than that, and they start with a photo that is given to them of what the family or company, or whoever, wants the sculptor to create. Then they make a clay model. After they explained everything to us,they showed us the different sculptures that they have already made, all of which were amazing to look at.

When they were done explaining, they gave us each a little square marble that had leaves and olives drawn in pencil for us to chisel ourselves. Just so you know, it was already seriously hot, I was sweating, and on top of that, I was super nervous about doing this. So I would like to tell you that I did a good job, but, eh. They gave us all plastic glasses to cover our eyes, but I couldn’t see well with them because of my bifocals, so I was struggling. Towards the end, one of the brothers told me I didn’t have to use protective glasses. I took them off, which made seeing easier, but my arms were still shaking. I think if it wasn’t so hot and I wasn’t so nervous, with a lot more time, I would have done better.

When all is said and done, I had a great time despite the heat and nerves. The two brothers did a great job showing us everything. They were both good teachers and very sweet to tell me my square looked good, even when I knew it was just okay. I would highly recommend doing this class with these brothers. They know what they are doing. They are very nice to chat with. Their sculptures are beautiful to look at, and I hope to see them both again one day. If you would like to check out their work and book a class with them, you can go to www.greek-sculptor.eu, Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/5975701

Kathleen Smith is the author of Miscarriages: My Journey From Heartache to Healing and other books. Blogs about a variety of things. Her podcast is Kathleens Korner, and she is the CEO of BearsWithApps. OH, let’s not forget her YouTube channel