Originally published in the Sparta News-Plaindealer, Sparta IL, 2003
Sparta natives Gabe and Steve Drueke have launched a venture combining one's artistic talents with the other's business experience.
Wishstone Chisel & Mallet markets carved stone letters and decorative work that Gabe created. One of his pieces, a bulldog, is being incorporated into the exterior of the new Sparta High School. Reliefs of that design are being sold as a fundraiser for the Sparta Unit 140 Fatherhood Initiative.
Gabe has had an interest in art since he was a child. He studied graphic design at the University of Illinois and took up stone carving in the spring of 1999 under the tutelage of one of his professors.
The brothers laughed that the early phase of his training was reminiscent of a kung fu movie. The first two months Gabe never touched a stone, instead spending his time drawing letters freehand in a variety of type styles.
"Those first two months the instructor had me draw the alphabet over and over again with a calligraphy pen," he said.
His earliest work was carving letters, something Wishstone markets in its commissioned work. Stone blocks with addresses or family names are among the items they produce by special order.
Gabe was working fulltime as a landscaper, but he was spending more and more free time carving. Eventually he made some rosettes and, using a latex mold, cast duplicates in plaster.
Brother Steve, who is employed in facility management consulting, saw some potential in Gabe's work and felt there was a market if they could replicate the work and mass produce it.
But duplication was the key.
"He's not going to make a living making originals," Steve said.
At the time Gabe just thought his work was something to be sold in craft fairs. Steve thought the work could be taken to the next level. He felt there was a market for stone-carved decoratives in architecture and high-end commissioned work.
The brothers started practicing with casting molds.
Gabe living in Illinois and Steve in Georgia started some backyard experimenting and discovered Steve's molds were stronger.
Gabe's pieces were breaking when they dropped, while Steve was frisbee throwing his pieces without a scratch. They eventually discovered that water content contributed to the difference.
"We went through a learning curve before deciding we needed to find someone with experience," Steve said.
Gabe said they do not know how their casting house contact learned about them, but they were contacted by a woman in South Carolina who now casts their resin products.
Steve worked on developing a business plan for Wishstone.
"The idea is to create a product line and then market them," he said. "And give Gabe a chance to carve bunnies in the park."
The bunnies in the park references a commissioned work one of Gabe's fellow U of I classmates did.
"We'd like to put Gabe on some 18-month projects," Steve said.
In the meantime, they developed a line of products that could be mass produced. Along with the bulldog, some of the hand-carved works include a lion, star, koi fish, sunflower, seashell, pineapple, fleur-de-lis and an American flag.
"What's nice about Gabe's work is it's something people can touch," Steve said. "I'll spend a day making phone calls, but you show people and it sells itself."
He said larger companies produce similar designs, but they are not hand-carved.
"Their work's not hand-carved," Gabe said. "They use machines and computers that have taken the craftsmanship out of this."
His graphic design training carries over into his letter work. Steve said the work is becoming increasingly elegant.
"He just keeps improving," Steve said.
For carving letters, Gabe finds slate the best surface. He is currently working on a slate memorial plaque in honor of Jesse Schilling, a Sparta High School classmate who was recently killed in a traffic accident.
Gabe said most people are not willing to go into stone carving. Wood carving is more popular.
Gabe said he once read an article by the artistic director to Rolling Stone. He listed ten things anyone wanting to submit work should do. One was to do something no one else was doing.
"Stone carving gave an opportunity for my work to stand out," Gabe said. He said the three-dimensional element also makes the artwork "jump out."
The brothers said it was ironic that their main competitor also put out a bulldog design after Wishstone introduced one.
"It was kind of flattering, but gosh, we're just getting started," Gabe said.
Gabe said the company's progress has been satisfactory.
"Every time we seem to be spinning our wheels, something else happens," Gabe said.
Currently their biggest concern is copyright infringement. Steve said the only copyrighted items they are making are shown for demonstration purpose only. The Indian head does resemble the Florida State Seminole, and Steve said Wishstone has approached several colleges about copyright approval.
The brothers' commitment to the company was demonstrated March 22 when Gabe quit his job to devote fulltime to stone carving. He had been working days and carving at night, even taking sick days to stay home to carve.
"Finally I said 'I gotta do it,'" Gabe said.
Fortunately his wife is also an artist and understood his decision. That and he agreed to also do the housework while she continued working.
"There has been stress, but anyone who's gotten anywhere has had to cut things out," Gabe said.
Steve will probably be following his brother into the business fulltime.
Since Sept. 11, he said his company has struggled.
"I needed a spark and Gabe's work does that," Steve said.
Similar to the brothers Theo and Vincent Van Gogh, Steve has concentrated on the business end, developing Wishstone's business plan. Despite the uncertainty of the venture — they estimated there are 25 stone carvers working in the United States — Wishstone has stuck to the plan.
Much of the commissioned work has come in the form of wedding gifts.
"Sometimes people are afraid of the price, but try to find someone in the United States who does it," he said. "And it will be in your family for generations."
They have also done some bartering. One of Gabe's classmates, Alison Montroy, has done work on their web site (www.wishstone.net) in exchange for Wishstone product.
"It's like being in college again, but it's a lot of fun," Gabe said.
Steve said one of the challenges with the business is the fragile nature of Gabe's work. With casting contractors in North Carolina and Florida, delivering a prototype in one piece is always a concern.
"We've had some late night 'meet us at Nashville' rendezvous," Steve laughed.
Gabe credited Terry Waldron, his Sparta High School art teacher, with helping him develop artistically.
"Waldron pushed me to be more bold with shadows and highlights," Gabe said. "He really pushed me to take my art to the next level."
The bulldog for the high school was their first high profile job, but Steve felt a market will develop. He said Wishstone is getting a favorable response from many architects in the southeast.
Currently the brothers are concentrating on developing a product line, which expands as they get more involved with the business.
For example, the bulldog design spun off two products — the relief plates made of resin and and stone plaques.
Along with architects, the brothers are also targeting designers, landscape architects and other trades to distribute Wishstone products.
Steve said it would not be difficult to use Wishstone prototypes to add ornamentation to buildings. He also felt someone such as a concrete contractor could get a trademark produced to "sign" completed jobs.
"The only limitation is your imagination," Steve said.