Join sculptor and installation artist Ann-Margreth Bohl taster workshop to learn how to carve a low relief in stone.

This workshop will inspire you and provide the basic skills to carve a low relief of a sycamore seed in Portland stone.

You will begin by tracing a prepared drawing of a sycamore seed onto a pre-cut limestone panel. The tutor will demonstrate safe handling and setup, how to hold a chisel and mallet, and how to transfer and read the traced design on the stone.

Through step‑by‑step demonstration you will observe and practise fundamental carving techniques:

• outlining the design with a pointed or tooth chisel to define the seed’s silhouette and major veins

• removing background material to establish shallow depth and reveal the relief

• refining surfaces with flat and rounded chisels for smooth transitions and subtle modelling

• using rasps and rifflers for finishing touches and texture

Safety and tool care are emphasised throughout. You will be shown correct body posture, PPE protection, and how to secure your stone to work confidently and efficiently.

By the end of the workshop you will have carved a small low relief of a sycamore seed in Portland stone to take home, along with guidance from the tutor on how to continue developing your skills and advice on tools and materials should you wish to practise further.

Tutor: Ann-Margreth Bohl
Date & Time: Saturday 29th August, 10am - 4pm
Venue: Chisel Studio, New Brewery Arts
Price: £125 (£0.00 VAT)

Please note that this workshop is for those aged 18 and over.

You are welcome to bring a lidded bottle of water with you but we kindly ask that you do not bring food into the studio.

Refreshments are available at our on-site café Blend until 4pm.

For more information:
Visit our FAQ page

Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is suitable for a beginners that would like to find out about stone carving, the tools you need and what it takes to enjoy working with this material.

What you will need:
Please bring an apron or wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. You will need to wear closed toe, sturdy shoes.

Please remove jewellery and tie hair back.

All materials and equipment are provided including FFP3 disposable dust masks. A mask must be worn whilst stone carving for your safety.

Accommodation: 
Residential option available. Find out about our accommodation, costs and how to book here.

Meet Your Tutor - ann-margreth bohl

Ann-Margreth Bohl is a sculptor and installation artist and has been a tutor at New Brewery Arts for the past 19 years. She first experienced stone carving over 25 years ago when she trained as an art therapist. To this day she is inspired by the physicality of stone and the ability to work creatively with this ancient and lasting material.

Within her current practise stone is not always carved, her inquiry into this ancient material and materials like light and sound are anchored in their phenomenology which she explores through drawing and by creating site specific installations.

She enjoys teaching in an informal way, passing on the skills and knowledge of stonecarving that she has acquired from stonemasons and stone sculptors over the years. She believes that every student has a unique way of working and engaging with form through the process of carving.

When you come to one of Ann-Margreth’s stone carving classes you can be a beginner or an advanced stone carver that enjoys working within a group on an individual project.

Ann-Margreth is happy to give you as much guidance or be as hands off as you wish.She is experienced in the carving of abstract forms and a basic knowledge of letter carving that she is happy to share with you.

Ann-Margreth is currently studying for her Fine Art MA at the University of Gloucestershire.