Schoharie landscaper is also a stone sculptor

PHOTOGRAPHER: Patrick Dodson

Richard McCormack with some of his stone carvings and art at his Schoharie home.

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Next to Richard McCormack’s garage sits a towering sailboat sculpture carved from a slab of bluestone.

It’s been there for four years.

“It’s hard to sell an eight-foot sailboat in Schoharie,” said the artist with a laugh.

His yard is full of fish, boats, geese and stained glass holders, all made from stone and all for sale. Most don’t stick around as long as the big boat has.

Drivers often pull over to browse through his eclectic offerings, and if they don’t see anything they think would enhance their own yard, McCormack is glad to create a custom piece.

The Chiseled Edge — McCormack’s stone art endeavor — is an offshoot of Split Rock Landscaping, a business he has run for about 30 years.

The 54-year-old has dabbled in art since high school, but said he never thought he’d be able to sell his creations. Four years ago, he took up stone sculpture, hoping it would complement the landscaping business.

He found there was a market for his art after all.

“It didn’t go off too good at first,” he admitted.

His first creation was supposed to be a sailboat.

“My wife’s sister came by and she goes, ‘Oh, that’s a nice witch’s hat.’ It took a while to find something that worked,” he said, laughing at the memory.

In his garage-turned-workshop, McCormack uses chisels, grinders and saws to coax stone into pleasing shapes. He mainly works with bluestone, limestone and fieldstone, much of it acquired locally.

Stone is a difficult medium to work with, he said.

“You can work on a piece for two days, and it’ll crack. There are so many seams in it,” he explained.

Barring any unforeseen cracks, sculptures typically take between a day and a week to make, depending on the size and intricacy of the project. They range in price from $30 to around $600.

McCormack enhances some of his stone art with paint. His wintery landscape scenes can be found for sale at the Apple Barrel in Schoharie. Store Supervisor Emma Chisholm said McCormack’s work is very popular.

“He does a Grandma Moses style, and people really like that,” she said.

McCormack has also sculpted a number of grave markers, in shapes ranging from boats to eagles. He was recently commissioned to carve a six-foot-tall sculpture that will include the New York Giants logo and be displayed a bar in Esperance.

Every carving he makes is unique.

“When we take a piece and put it on somebody’s property, it just comes alive,” he said.