On Thursday 21 September, we welcomed artist Tom Butterworth of Onestone into the Totem Road Gallery to launch his new body of work, With Patience.
The magic in Tom's work is not just in his skill, vision and craftsmanship but the energy that he imbues into each piece.
"Onestone has taught me a new version of success. It's not how much progress I can make on a sculpture but the way I show up firstly for myself, which then allows me to truly be present and show up for others, with patience."
The first time Tom saw the inside of a piece of sandstone, he was instantly captivated and he realised that he could bring to life pieces of unwanted stone that would be crushed or end up in landfill.
It's a long process: "Creating each vessel is usually about eight days, from the first initial cuts, to sealing the stone and setting the solid brass feet,’ he says.
"The lamps take much longer. It’s a dusty, tough and timely process but the end result makes it all worth it."
With each stone ranging from thousands to millions years old, Tom is meticulous with his cuts and sanding. "If I go too far through a vein, it could disrupt the natural flow and the stone looks tampered with. Each move I make is so considered and it means the pieces have a diversity of texture, tone and colour that reflect the original piece," he says.
For this body of work, Tom created eleven pieces, including one LED lamp. The vessels all feature glass cylinders that can be filled with water for florals.
Sculpted by hand in Tom's Sydney studio, each piece has been laboured over with love - for the chance to create, for Mother Earth and for the piece itself. As Tom so beautifully said: "From my heart to yours".
With Patience will be on show at the Totem Road Gallery, 188 Oxford St, Paddington NSW, until sold out.
Onestone - With Patience, Two
AUD - Sold Out
Onestone - With Patience, Seven