Soft Rocks Series
On the Rocks
Artwork Details
Technique: Needle Felted Sculpture
Dimensions: 18" wide x 24" high
Collection: Soft Rocks Series
Availability: Ready to display sculpture
Some phrases are so visual that they practically demand to become sculptures.
On the Rocks was one of those pieces.
I wanted to create a three-dimensional interpretation of a martini glass "on the rocks," but I didn't want to simply reproduce a glass. Instead, I decided to create a wooden cross-section—a simplified, sculptural version that would reveal the rocks inside.
That decision turned into quite a woodworking challenge.
A martini glass filled with soft rocks
Designing the Glass
I started with a reference photograph of a martini glass and began figuring out how to translate its shape into a cross-section.
There was no pattern for this. I had to create my own.
The stem was cut from a single piece of wood. For the bowl, I cut two identical pieces and glued them together to create the bowl shape.
But getting those two parts to become one continuous form was the real challenge.
The Hard Part
Attaching the stem to the bowl required hours of hand sanding.
The curves had to meet precisely, and the transition from the narrow stem into the wide bowl needed to look seamless. There was no shortcut. I kept sanding and refining until the pieces matched perfectly.
Once the glass itself was complete, I added a base so the sculpture could stand on its own.
Then came the easiest part.
I filled the glass with an assortment of my needle-felted rocks.
A martini glass.
On the rocks.
About the Soft Rocks Series
The Soft Rocks Series grew from my fascination with the language surrounding rocks and stones. Familiar phrases become starting points for sculptures, often with a literal interpretation and a little visual mischief.
On the Rocks takes a phrase normally associated with a drink and turns it into something you can actually see: a wooden martini glass filled with rocks that aren't rocks at all.