Stone Carving Night Classes — Papanui High School
Twenty-five years ago I started teaching stone carving one evening a week at Papanui High School. I'm still there. The classes are still full. And people are still walking out at the end of term with something they made from a solid block of Oamaru stone — and a look on their face that never gets old.
These are proper classes, not taster sessions. Over seven weeks you learn to read stone, work with tools correctly, and develop a piece that's genuinely yours. The pace is relaxed, the studio is sociable, and no experience is required to begin.
Stone Carving for Beginners
An introduction to sculpting in Oamaru stone. You'll learn the fundamentals — how to use the tools safely, how to approach design, and how to coax a form out of raw stone. By the end of the course, you'll have a finished sculpture and a set of skills you can build on.
Tuesdays — Term 2 starts 28th April 2026
7 weeks · 2 hours per week · $188
Enrol at Papanui High School →
Stone Carving Advanced
For those who've completed a beginners course or have solid prior experience. You'll work on a single ambitious piece across the full term — something larger, more detailed, and entirely driven by your own ideas. This is where the craft deepens.
Thursdays — Term 2 starts 30th April 2026
7 weeks · 2 hours per week · $188
Enrol at Papanui High School →
For current course dates and to secure your place, visit the Papanui High School stone carving course page.
What Students Say
These are words from people who've sat in the class, picked up a chisel for the first time, and made something they're still proud of.
"I was a grey-haired old man (49) with time on his hands so I started a learner's stone carving course at Papanui High School. Under Shaugn's tutelage I became familiar with the stone and how to develop something artistic out of it. I am still doing it as a hobby and I have been asked by many friends and family to make pieces of art for them. I started with the very basic Koru and now I can make almost anything. I have always said that it was Shaugn's teaching that has helped me get to where I am — thank you very much Shaugn. What it does show is that you are never too old to learn this wonderful art."
Keith Moyes — Beginner student
"I decided to do the Beginners class because it's something I've always been curious about. The beginners classes are a great way to start — there was something so satisfying about being able to take something home when you complete it. Shaugn has great projects that allow you to learn the basic concepts in a fun and fulfilling manner. I decided to carry on for Advanced stone carving. I enjoyed Shaugn's teaching style and the energy and atmosphere in the classes. Stone carving has become something that I look forward to. There is something very self-satisfying about creating something that is your own."
Jen — Beginner to Advanced student
"My journey began when I saw a sea bird in stone. My mother had passed away and I bought it in memory of her. My hands felt the smooth stone, I felt the curve, the shape — and I just knew that that was what I would like to recreate.
Night school commitment began. I couldn't draw so I would have to rely on my hands to feel if it was right. The shape was measured and the sawing began. I couldn't cut bread straight but here I was with the saw gliding through the stone — no pressure, just a fluid movement.
The chiselling began, tentative at first, and then I was coaxed to command the stone and make it do what I wanted. My confidence grew as techniques unfolded. As I chiselled and exposed what I wanted to happen, I also knew what actions I had to take in my own life and where it should go.
The advanced class led to another stone albatross, a modern impression of two figures, an abstract piece called 'The Bumpy Road of Life' — and my last piece, 'Devotion', made from recycled stone in memory of my parents.
I realised I had worked through my emotions of sadness through working with the stone. I had made a new ending. I had dared to dream and linked into my creative side. Being in control of the stone and its direction was now reflected in my own life. For me, stone carving had been a therapeutic and holistic experience with satisfying results.
I dare you to dream."
Joy — Beginner to Advanced student
Joy's seabird
Student Work
Terry is one of the advanced students in the Thursday night class. He's working on a large-scale abstract piece — a kind of sculpture you'd typically only see in a professional studio.
Terry's abstract sculpture — in progress
Terry with his finished piece