Maia Gaffney-Hyde

My Lettering Arts Trust Apprenticeship started on the 10th January 2023, with master carver Charlotte Howarth in West Acre, Norfolk. My apprenticeship will last 2 years, the first 9 months on a part-time basis. I am the 10th LCAT apprentice. 

Lettering Arts Trust Apprentice 2023-24




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Fig. 1 Fig. 2

02.   Preparing the Stone


I am using a piece of Moleanos limestone for my first piece, rather than something like slate, as it will be more forgiving to cut. Moleanos is a creamy off-white stone with flecks of shells and fossils.

Fig. 1 - 2 First we need to cut the stone from the larger piece to the right width. We score the cutting line onto the stone with a pointed chisel and check with a set square that the line is square at either end. The line needs to be scored on both sides of the stone and on the edges. As I’ve never used an angel grinder before Charlotte cuts the stone, but I have a go at using it on a spare piece of stone, to get a feel for how it cuts. We are both in full PPE, Charlotte in a dust mask with filters, goggles, earplugs and ear defenders. Gloves, overalls and steel toe cap boots.


Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7
Fig. 3-4 Once the stone is cut there is a rough surface to the edge, Charlotte shows me how to neaten this to flat edge. As we are not cutting a letter but rather removing stone and preparing a surface, we use the size and shape tools that are more commonly use in stone masonry. 

First we level the surface, by chopping into the centre, never out to the edge, then I chase the surface which produces the parallel lines you can see in Fig. 5. I am aiming for the cutting line to reach from edge to edge, if it doesn’t that’s an indication that the surface isn’t flat. Then we go over it with a file to get a completely flat surface. I use the chisel to check that it is flat, as in Fig. 7.


Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 11 Fig. 12 Fig. 13
Next I cut the border. Fig. 8 I have opted for a beveled edge, with a chopped texture. Fig. 9 - 10 Although this is a fairly thin piece of stone, the bevelled edge gives the suggestion of the stone being even thinner and lighter, this is heightened by the angle of the bevel. As before we score the lines I want to cut to, and chop away the stone, then chase over it to get a flatter surface.  Fig. 13 To create the chased finished texture I deliberately cut a bit deeper. Once I am happy with how the edges are looking, we can start marking up the stone to draw on the design.


Fig. 14 Fig. 15 Fig. 16 Fig. 17
Fig. 14-17 We draw on a vertical centre line and the lines for the text, we check that everything is square and that the space at the top and bottom is how we want it. Next I transfer the design onto the stone. There are a few ways to transfer drawn letters onto the stone, but Charlotte opts for drawing them straight onto the stone, again this helps cement the letterforms in my mind. This method also takes into account that the design drawn on paper may need to change slightly when transferred to stone. I use a printed copy of my drawing to help get the spacing correct. I draw the letters fairly roughly, as we’ll go over each one before I start carving. 

03.  Carving ︎︎︎
My Lettering Arts Trust Apprenticeship started on the 10th January 2023, with master carver Charlotte Howarth in West Norfolk. My apprenticeship will last two years, the first year on a part-time basis. I am the 10th LCAT apprentice.






© Maia Gaffney-Hyde MMXXIII
© Maia Gaffney-Hyde MMXXIV