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Welcome
to the Webstones
home page.
Here you can find
stones carved in
traditional
Pictish and Celtic
designs,
"And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything." William Shakespeare The Carvings on display are the work of Ronald Henderson, Bridge of Earn. Ronald takes his inspiration from the early Pictish and Scottish stone carvings which abound throughout the country. All of his work is hand-carved, using the exact same technique as our ancestors did over a thousand years ago. Of particular interest to him are the beautiful Celtic stone carvings of Argyll. Often inscribed with Gaelic wording, these stones spurred Ronald to learn the language; and he subsequently wrote a short story in Gaelic about the problems faced by astronauts on a spaceship being drawn into a black hole. The story was published in 1980 by Gairm Publishers, Glasgow. A keen amateur historian, he has discovered two previously unknown prehistoric settlements complete with flint factories: one in Fife and the other by the river Clyde. He also discovered the enigmatic 6th century Christian cross and fish symbol stone on the Lomond hills in Fife. It was this particular find which encouraged him to take up stone carving. He is married to a lovely Argyll girl who has given him three sons, all of whom are taller than he. The first is teaching astronomy and physics in Kent. The second is a ‘de-bug’ inspector with an electronic communications firm, and the third is studying bio-genetics at Glasgow University. In a vain attempt to keep up with his offspring Ronald says he is currently working on his most recent project, which is a new and improved rounder version of the wheel.
" We must be humble. We are so easily baffled by appearances and do not realise that these stones are one with the stars. It makes no difference to them whether they are high or low, mountain peak or ocean floor, palace or pigsty. There are plenty of ruined buildings in the world, but no ruined stones. No visitor comes from the stars but is the same as they are."Hugh MacDiarmid Tel 01738 812711 e-mail Ron@webstones.co.uk Have you ever looked at those ancient carved stones which can be found throughout the length and breadth of Scotland and wondered who made them, and what sort of techniques these sculptors of old used when shaping one of their creations? Often these stones lie as lifeless exhibits in dusty museums, detached and untouchable in their protective glass cases. But frequently they stand like sentinels on a remote heather-clad hillside or windswept moor, proud and enigmatic, holding the names of the artists who carved them deep within their twisting contours and curves. To run your hands over their time-worn lines is to sense them proclaiming their noble heritage and identity to us. Wouldn't you like to have one of these stones in your garden or house? Well Webstones is probably as near as you will ever get to owning one of these original ancient stones. Sculptor Ronald Henderson employs the exact same hand-carving technique as that used by the ancient Picts and Celts of Scotland, to produce his modern echoes of their age-old craft. What follows are some examples of his work. He uses natural unsquared Scottish stone as the medium for his art, just as his ancestors did in the past; and allows each stone to tell its own individual story to the beholder. Consequently each is original and unique. Because each stone has its own characteristics of texture, colour and form; and the carving, by definition, must vary slightly from stone to stone - each piece is bestowed with its own individuality. In other words, each is a one-off. Take a walk back in time with this modern craftsman, and appreciate our unique Scottish Heritage. Enjoy these pictures, which can only give a small measure of the delight of actually owning a Henderson original. Ronald Henderson can be contacted by clicking here.
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