VANCE THEORET is a man of few words, as are many who work with stone. But when he does get talking it takes little time to feel his passion for the stone that he works with! And of how he communicates with the stone in a manner hard to put into words but nonetheless very tangible. Vance connects with each stone, allowing its ancient memory to speak to him. Using this first impression of what the stone has revealed, he applies a 'direct carve' approach, letting the design emerge. This rough image is then refined into a clean, solid sculpture, with precise, yet minimal, detail. "I let the stone tell me what it wants to be. The results are far more exciting than if I forced my ideas on my material." While Vance's work portrays the physical presence of the stone, it also evokes a wide range of emotions - from humour to a sense of tenderness shared between mother and baby - and seems to touch you on a very primal level.

Working in alabasters, soapstones, slate, chlorite and Kissi stone, Vance carves a variety of subjects - but bears are by far his favourite. "Bears are like big kids that never really grow up. So I can get away with portraying a lot of human qualities in them. I like to explore the more playful, curious aspects of bears."