In Sooke on Vancouver Island, stone mason and sculptor Peter Kornacki starts with solid stone and finishes with lifelike wildlife. His three-dimensional carvings draw on a range of materials, including pyrophyllite, limestone, sandstone, marble, soapstone, granite, alabaster, and jade.
Kornacki’s interest in the outdoors goes back to his childhood in Ontario’s North Bay and Mattawa area, where he grew up off the grid in a circular home topped with a geodesic dome roof. That early connection to fields, woods, creeks, and beaver ponds still shows up in the subjects he chooses today.
After time spent snowboarding in Canmore, Alta., Kornacki made Sooke his home in 2010. He kept sharpening his stone masonry and carving skills there, learning through workshops with Deborah Wilson and studying the work of sculptors such as Michael Lord, Craig Benson, and Tom Hjorleifson. His finished pieces can range from familiar local animals to dragons, each one shaped by the specific traits of the stone in front of him.
For mason contractors, Kornacki’s work is a reminder that “stone” is never just stone. The look, density, and workability of limestone, granite, and soapstone aren’t interchangeable, and the craft is in knowing how the material wants to be cut, shaped, and finished. That same respect for material shows up on job sites, whether the work is architectural stone, repair, or detailing.
Kornacki also works as a sports fishing guide, and he’s preparing to take part in the Vancouver Island Stone Sculpture Symposium, scheduled for Sept. 21-27 at the Cowichan Lake Outdoor Education and Conference Centre. Presented by the Vancouver Island Sculptors Guild, the 2026 symposium will bring together stone carvers for a week focused on hands-on work and shared learning.
Read the full, original article from Sooke News Mirror here.