ARTIST BEAUTIFULLY CARVES FOREST FIGURES INTO AVOCADO PITS

When it comes to avocado pits we usually toss them away or plant them in our own veggie garden. However for artist Jan Campbell these pits are much more than waste. 

At first glance, Jan Campbell's creations may look like as if it has been carved out of wood but it's an avocado pit that the artisan has carved and transformed into handheld totems and pendants. Her creative handiwork features magical figurines and guardians of the forest. 

Each figure are created with an impressive attention to intricate detail. Campbell started carving this unconventional material back in 2014. It all started with the making of an avocado sandwich for lunch. “I felt reluctant to throw the avocado stone into the bin. I thought that it was too nice an object to throw away. I decided to hold onto the stone so I could take my time thinking about what to do with it.”

After carrying the pit in one of her coat’s pockets for a few day, she discovered something amazing. “When I accidentally scraped the surface of the stone with my nail, a beautiful deep orange pigment surfaced. It occurred to me then to try carving it.” 

Campbell soon discovered that his might become something she could be interested in and purchased some lino-cutting tools. She then started to engrave a “strange little face” on the pit and let it dry. After finally drying she discovered that the final result was as hard as wood. With the final creation she knew that this is her new  artistic path. After many tries she is finally producing her characters out of the avocado stone as well as bronze.