Rust and Grease: January 2026

Nothing gives me more satisfaction than using a remanent piece of stone from an old building and turn it into something new. The chunk of Indiana limestone I used to carve this owl sculpture started its life as a well cut and dressed wall stone in one of Philadelphia's most recognized and admired buildings, the Civic Center, which is now the site of Perelman Center for Advanced medicine in Center City Philadelphia, PA.

Back in 2004 while I was driving home from work one day from a nearby construction site, I couldn't help but notice all the broken limestone pieces scattered around the site of the Civic Center as it was being torn down. Seizing the opportunity I quickly pulled my truck into the gated job site. The demo crew were on their way home just like me and didn't care one bit when I backed up near a pile of broken limestone destined for the landfill. I quickly loaded what I could lift by hand which was this piece I used for the Owl carving and another piece a bit smaller.

That was back in 2004 or 2005 if I remember correctly. The stones then made their way back to my house where they laid in the grass behind the rear of my shop for the next twenty years until one day this past November 2025. That's when I thought to myself why not start that Owl carving I've always wanted to do, lol. That’s the way this carving stuff works sometimes, you can walk by a stone you’ve looked at for decades and on a whim you think today is the day I think I’ll start carving that an owl in a tree...