Episode 12 – Stuart Simpson

By Matthew Johnson | September 2, 2024

Stone Carvers Guild Podcast


Episode 10 – In which Stuart Simpson shares about his journey from carving found stones   as a child to studying art at University to working with co-host Matthew Johnson at Texas Carved Stone (see Bob Ragan episode) to running his own studio.

Also included – comments on running a stone carving business, a carving for Jeff Bezos, and the reading of a review!

Category: Podcast

About Matthew Johnson

I began working with stone in 1991 when I was invited to apprentice with a stone carver working in nearby Florence. During the course of his training, Matthew learned the intricacies of designing, cutting, and carving stone architectural elements, using a combination of both modern and ancient tools and techniques.

After completing my apprenticeship in 1997, I worked with a high tech firm in Austin where I studied and implemented the cutting edge technologies of CAD design. Always with an eye toward returning to the stone industry, I spent the next few years developing CAD tools that would help me blend the aesthetics and nuanced beauty of carved stone with the precision and speed of the information age.

Today, I am the founder of Bartlett Stone Company and serve as our carver and designer. My experience and attention to detail allow architects, designers, builders, and masons to confidently expand the boundaries of their own stone designs and provide their clients with high quality architectural details that routinely surpass expectation.

In 1999, I got my chance to re-enter the stone carving profession when my old master, Bob Ragan, invited me back to oversee and manage the shop in which I had originally trained. I spent the next four years blending my varied skills in order to provide each client with a uniquely sculpted, architectural stone treasure, while still accommodating the realities of building schedules and budgets.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *