Compost it or Carve it?
"I found a gentle smiling face inside the stone" Jan Campbell
Avocado Pit Woodland Creatures by Jan Campbell
Campbell experiments with different kinds of avocados -- some of them having larger seeds than others. She carves the seeds when they are still fresh and soft, and allows them to dry and harden into something that looks almost wooden. (Treehugger)
See
Campbell's motifs recall woodland characters in meditative states, surrounded by layered leaves or curling spirals, or powerful feminine symbols.
How did she think to carve an avocado pit?
It all started in 2014 when she was making a sandwich for lunch, using ripe avocado, leaving her with a perfectly shaped pit:
I felt reluctant to throw the avocado stone into the bin. I thought that it was too nice an object to throw away. I decided to hold onto the stone so I could take my time thinking about what to do with it.
Campbell ended up carrying that piece of the avocado in her coat pocket for a few days. Then:
When I accidentally scraped the surface of the stone with my nail, a beautiful deep orange pigment surfaced. It occurred to me then to try carving it.
Campbell didn’t realize that Fruit Pit carving is a centuries old tradition in China, and the details and finesse of these miniature artworks are still appreciated today.
Peach Pit Faces
Tagua Nut Dragon
Peach Pit Carving by Liu Jun
Say
I found it fascinating how people across different times and places developed similar methods for carving nuts and pits.
What could have led them to reach the same creative conclusions?
As for the lack of credit to specific artists in many examples I came across, why might this be the case?
Do
Carve an avocado pit, make some buttons or some jewelry!
About Jan Cambell
Hello! I'm Jan Campbell, the creator of Avocado Stone Faces. I live in County Mayo in the West of Ireland. I am happiest when in nature; exploring forests, the bog and beaches. I truly adore carving and feel that it's a necessary mode of communication for me, one that I've only accessed relatively recently. I feel connected with the earlier human inhabitants of the earth when I practice this ancient art form. I taught myself to carve through instinct, intuition and experimentation, and have received no formal training in the art. For this, I am grateful as it allows the process to feel entirely personal to me. (avocadostone faces) Instagram
I gathered a random assortment of craft tools and set to work, carving the surface very slowly and carefully, studying the effect of every action I took on the stone. I couldn't believe how satisfying an activity it was - how had I never discovered this enjoyment before? I had drawn pictures my whole life, but carving was like drawing in 3D - I had a whole extra dimension to play with! I found a gentle smiling face inside the stone. I was hooked, and I went straight to the supermarket to buy more avocados. The few days while I waited for the avocados to ripen really tested my patience! My fingers were itching to find more characters inside the stones.
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