Using only the traditional method of mallet and chisel, Michael Ellis creates lasting works of art ranging from richly inscribed letter forms and motifs to portraiture to the purely abstract.   Using mostly recycled stone, Michael chooses slate for letter cutting, while other stone carvings include the likes of sandstone,  soapstone, marble and even bluestone.

Today the majority of  letter cutting and stone carving is manufactured using modern equipment such as sandblasting , grinders and saws and of course pneumatic chisels .  Understandably these methods prove to be much faster however, in the opinion of a traditional carver, these techniques void the carving of fine details and lack an intimacy which is found in hand carved stone.  From his modest studio in Poland Maine, Michael continues the art of letter cutting and hand carving,  an effort shared by only a few artists in the United States.