A directional arrow in a large basalt boulder…can you do that???

A nice commision in between: carving a sign into a stone. My sister-in-law asked me if I could make a boulder with the word 'temple' carved into it’ and an arrow pointing to the entrance.

I liked the idea, but I thought it would be a bit poor in execution. That's why I went to a garden center, and bought a large basalt boulder of 1700 kilos. I made 1 side flat, polished it and carved the bow of Rama into it. Basalt, other than basaltlava (which is basically the same stuff, but with gas bubbles in it), is very hard and glassy, but can be polished deep black. During carving I definitely noticed how glassy it is: I had lots of little black splinters embedded in the skin of my left hand, where I had held the chisel.

Later my daughter Thirsa painted the bow and the letters twice with gold paint. This gold provides a beautiful contrast with the deep black, but it is also important because it ensures that the bow and the letters remain clearly visible even at night and in the rain.

A short video about installing of the basalt boulder.