If you have eaten avocado, a fruit native to South Central Mexico, you will certainly be aware of the nutritional value and culinary uses of this not-so-sweet-but-distinctly-flavored fruit. But, we are not talking about the fruit per se, but what is left behind after eating it. And that is its pit inside.
It is to the credit of the creative eye of Jan Campbell, an Irish artisan, to realize the true beauty of avocado’s pit, while she consumed the fruit as a special after-lunch treat in 2014. As she uncovered an exceptionally perfect stone inside, she sensed she is holding a substantial object that had a lot of potential.
Instead of throwing the pit away, she put it in her pocket and forgot all about it. A few days later, when she rediscovered the stone, she felt an unusual connection to it. She explored the tree-shaped network of veins on the surface of the stone. And it was not long before she tried carving its layers, inspired by a deep scratch on its dark surface that looked oh-so-perfect!
The result was astonishing and the avocado pit carving looked like a lovely piece of art. In subsequent days, Jan made an Instagram account totally devoted to her new hobby that gave her a place to maintain a photo diary of her carvings. She called her account: Avocado Stone Faces.
Thus began the journey of avocado pit art, as Jan took it upon herself to turn avocado stones into intricately detailed and finely crafted avocado stone faces. Her art is inspired Celtic folklore and her gifted hands turn the avocado stones into the serene faces of forest spirits, ancient goddesses with flowing hair, squatting figures and myriad faces with varied expressions, all with eyes closed! There is one particularly striking image of a woman with her legs spread apart, displaying her femininity in all its glory!
These miniatures have become coveted collection items, used as miniature displays or worn as pendants. According to Jan, these miniatures provide a sense of companionship and comfort to the wearer. Her website, Avocadostonefaces, displays avocado pits crafts in all its finesse.
Jan is self-taught in carving and has no formal training in this art. It was her instinct, intuition and experimentation that led to these creations. Who would believe that avocado pit uses can turn so creative!
You can Buy Them at her Website Or you can follow her on Instagram to see more of her awesome work.
