When you first look at Jan Campbell’s art, you may think it was carved out of wood. However, what you’re looking at is not lumber… It’s an avocado pit that the craftsman has converted into totems and pendants that may be worn on the body.
Fantastical figures and woodland guardians, among other things, may be found among her creations, which are meticulously crafted with meticulous attention to detail.
So, how did Campbell get started cutting this unusual material in the first place? It all started while she was preparing an avocado sandwich for lunch one day in 2014.
Her recollection is that “it was tough for me to fling the stone away from the avocado. I felt it was a beautiful piece and didn’t want to throw it away. I determined that I would hang on to the stone so that I could take my time deciding what I should do with it.”
Campbell carried the pit in her coat pocket for a few days before throwing it out. “A beautiful deep orange color appeared from under the surface of the stone when I accidentally scraped it with my nail. It occurred to me at that point to attempt carving it.”
After getting some lino-cutting tools, she etched the pit with a “weird little face” and let it cure for a couple of days. The finished product was as hard as wood, and it was this that started her on a new creative trajectory.
Campbell now creates her figures out of avocado stone as well as bronze, according to the New York Times. Both are available for purchase via her Etsy store.
Jan Campbell carves her miniature sculptures from avocado stone, which is a material that is not often seen in sculpture.
Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of The Sized delivered to your inbox daily.
