EAST Interview: Bob Ragan of Flying Fingers Stone Co-op

One can only imagine the reactions that someone like Bob Ragan gets when he tells people what he does for a living. Stone carver? Really? ...Wow! This reaction would be accompanied by a perplexed look as people realize what that entails. Followed by the natural conclusion that it's pretty damn cool. But, part of the puzzlement for those few seconds has to be figuring out what it actually does entail?

Carving of any kind - limestone, marble, or granite - looks beautiful as a finished product. We marvel at it in museums, parks, cemeteries, and along city blocks. But, the real magic is in watching the process - something the average person never gets to experience.

Well, for anyone who ever wanted a peek into how stone is carved, now is your chance. Ragan, along with fellow professional stone carvers Matthew Johnson and Stuart Simpson — also known as Flying Fingers Stone Co-op — will bring the wow factor to East Austin Studio Tour with on-site carving demonstrations this weekend and next.

The Flying Fingers stone-cutters will be guest artists of Dan Kagay and White Wind Woodworking, a design/build shop specializing in custom-made furniture using a variety of materials, including domestic and exotic woods, stone, glass, and metal. Kagay's wood pieces are extremely elegant without being nimble or purely decorative—they feel substantial and functional while also being beautiful.

Visit Flying Fingers Stone and Dan Kagay, who will exhibition a selection of his wood works, this weekend and next at Whitewind Woodworking, located at 777 Shady Lane, stop number 73 on the EAST map. The Austinist sat down with stone carver Bob Ragan to find out a little bit more about this ancient art form.

How did you all get started in stone carving?

I started as a brick and stonemason, and for me it was a natural progression to stone carving. As a mason I specialized in fireplaces and fountains so I could do more creative work. At the same time I studied the history of masonry and the correct way of doing things. When I got to the Gothic period—the crowning glory of man made architecture in my opinion—I knew I had to teach myself to carve stone. After teaching myself for a while, I hired on with a stone mill in Florence, TX, and cut and carved miles and miles of architectural ornamentation. In 1987 I started my own company, Texas Carved Stone. Along with my wife Mary, and over the years numerous apprentices, carvers and helpers, we continue to run the company. In 1990, Matthew Johnson, the youngest son of two of our best friends, became one of our new apprentices while attending Southwestern University. He eventually earned a degree in philosophy. Matt was, and is, a voracious learner and I grew calluses shoveling trying to satisfy his curiosity. In 1995 Stuart Simpson popped into our lives. A Southwest Texas State graduate with an art degree, he had a desire to expand his skills. Today Matt and Stu are master carvers and owners of their own stone carving shops—Matt owns Bartlett Stone and Stu owns Austin Stone Carving. I don’t know much, but I do know this: the three of us stand knee deep in a dying trade, are friendly competitors and sometime partners, and most importantly, friends for life.

What is the history of stone carving in Texas?

Man has been carving stone in what was to become Texas since the woolly mammoth walked down Congress Avenue. When Texas won its independence from Mexico, it inherited Spanish missions and cathedrals. Among the settlers that moved into Texas to build towns and cities were stonemasons and carvers from all over Europe and Mexico who learned their craft from their fathers and grandfathers — descendants of the artisans and craftsmen that built the incredible architecture of Europe.