Walter S. Arnold creates a full range of stone sculpture and marble carvings. At age twenty, be began training as an apprentice in the marble carving studios of Pietrasanta, Italy. In the early 1980’s Arnold spent five years working on the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. with noted master stone carver Vincent Palumbo, a fifth generation Italian stone carver.
Arnold feels optimistic about the work of stone carving and sees its continued relevance in today’s world. Known especially for his gargoyles, Arnold also creates unique fireplaces, fountains, architectural carvings and sculpture for private residences, institutions and commercial buildings throughout the United States and Canada, including the White House, the U.S. Capitol Building, and the Chicago Tribune Tower.
He is currently serving his fourth term as president of the Stone Carvers Guild of America and frequently is invited to lecture on the history, technique and application of architectural and sculptural stone carving around the world.
Additional Resources
Chicago Architecture Foundation has a page specifically for educators with resources: http://www.architecture.org/page.aspx?pid=541 and www.discoverdesign.org)
Artist’s website with a lot of background information on stone carving: http://www.stonecarver.com/index.html
Artist’s book information: Arnold, Walter. Staglieno: The Art of the Marble Carver. 2009. Edgecliff Press, LLC.
