CRESTONE — Local sculptor Bob Long’s works will be on display at the Shumei Gallery in Crestone for the month of October. A symposium with Bob will be held on Sunday, October 15th starting at 3 p.m. A reception will follow.

For over 20 years, Bob Long has specialized in discovering the beauty hidden within stone. Working with various materials such as alabaster, marble, jade, and petrified wood, Bob brings alive the latent personalities of these stones to create uniquely intricate sculptures.

“One of the more common responses to my work is wonder at the optical illusion it creates,” he said. “Some sculptures appear as if several pieces have been spliced together when they are actually all one piece of stone. My abstracts are not designed beforehand. For instance, ‘Intimacy’ was a concept where I wanted to tie three loops together, so when I began creating it, it was a challenge and joy to watch the intertwining of the loops as they revealed themselves. My biggest inspiration for this work is the sensuality of the natural world.”

Come meet Bob and learn more about his work on Sunday Oct. 15th from 3-5 p.m. This event is free to the public. Please visit www.shumeicrestone.org or call 256-5284 for more information. The Shumei gallery is open every day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.