Sculptures make themselves on the Main

Make your own stone figures

In the small town of Dorfprozelten on the Main you can make your own stone figures. The master stonemason and sculptor Alexander Schwarz offers workshops in which you can learn how to make sculptures yourself. We had already heard of him on our first Visit to Churfranken in spring, That had made us curious. That 's why we have him on our Journey along the Route of Delights visited. Anyone who follows us for longer knows that us Creative and creative people interested. We wanted to find out what Alexander Schwarz's sculpting courses are all about.

 

 

You can learn to do sculptures yourself

When we pull up to Alexander Schwarz's sculpture workshop, we immediately see that we're at the right place. In the garden, unworked stone blocks lie along the garden fence. Right next to them, we see roughly hewn figures and mythical heads. Some of them are works from his sculpture workshops, where you learn how to make sculptures yourself. Alexander Schwarz tells us this as he greets us. He shows us a stone snail and says: "This is the work of a woman who regularly takes part in my courses. This is why the lady keeps traveling to Dorfprozelten." He also offers his workshops in local schools. "This way, the children learn that perseverance is necessary to create something."

 

 

From stonemason to sculptor – making sculptures yourself

Alexander Schwarz learned his art as a stonemason in a nearby company. However, he always wanted to make sculptures himself rather than simply taking on commissioned work for gravestones. And so he finally went into business for himself. He looked for a house on the outskirts of town. Because sculpture is a dusty and loud business. The stones have to be hewn and polished. Not every neighbor agrees with that. He laughs and points to the company that is located opposite his garden: "Today our neighbor is louder than we are."

 

 

From portraits to stone sculptures

It is not an easy task to become self-employed as a sculptor, especially if you make the sculptures yourself. "The first few years were hard," Alexander Schwarz tells us. "You have to make a name for yourself first. Nowadays I only take on commissioned work." When I ask him what kind of commissions he is taking, he leads us through his exhibition room and his workshop. We see busts that portray the clients. "This man," and he points to the stone head of an older gentleman, "took part in one of my workshops. He liked the work so much that he had himself portrayed." Next to it is a bust of a young woman. "That is his daughter," explains Alexander Schwarz. "One commission leads to another."

 

 

He also takes on orders for larger companies. In his workshop there are sculptures that he makes himself for clubs or places in the area. He does not always implement his clients' ideas straight away. He was only allowed to design his protective cloak Madonna the way he had in mind after long discussions with the clients. His version is not a spiritualized Madonna figure with a grown-up Christ child. She looks more like a worried mother who holds her small child protectively in her arms. A touching work, we think.

 

 

Make your own sculptures: from carnival masks to acrylic paintings

Today, Alexander Schwarz does not only express his artistic talent in his sculptures. Making sculptures himself is not enough for him. For years he has been carving wooden masks that are worn during carnival time. "Every year, new ones are added," he laughs. He spins stories about them. There is the old king and his somewhat goofy-looking son, to whom he does not want to hand over power. We see a harlequin and a witch. We also discover blue- and green-faced monsters and mythical creatures whose stories we cannot imagine. When we visit, they are hanging on the wall, waiting for their next use next year.

 

 

In addition to the sculptures that Schwarz makes himself, I was also impressed by the acrylic paintings that hang on the wall in the entrance area of ​​his workshop. In addition to portraits of Barack Obama and Quentin Tarantino, there is also a picture of his partner.

 

Workshops on how to make sculptures yourself

You can do sculptures yourself in the workshops of Alexander Schwarz. He offers them regularly via his website on. You can also register there for this.

 

 

 

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Do you already know:

• Gifts for travelers
• Dinkelsbuhl sights
• Take a vacation on the Main in Miltenberg
• Wine hiking in Franconia
• Burgenland regions on the border
• Hotel Schwarz Alm in Advent
• The museum in the Kornhaus in Bad Waldsee
• St. Nikolai Church in Stralsund: UNESCO World Heritage

 

Other Slow Travel Tips here. Creativity and design experiences here.

Source: Make your own sculptures: own research on site. We would like to thank Mainland Miltenberg - Churfranken eV and Tourismus Wertheim for the invitation to this trip. However, our opinion remains, as always, our own.

Text Make your own sculptures: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline