WICHITA, Kansas, July 15, 2008 – Most of us can make a mistake in our work and go right back and fix it. But if you’re a sculptor like Mike Tolbert, who’s medium is stone, there is little room for error.

Mike Tolbert owns Sisyphus Stoneworks and has been cutting stone from his Newton studio for about seven years. One might think that a successful sculptor has years of formal training.

“My last art class was actually in eighth grade,” Mike said. “Self-trained, picked up chisels and started carving.”

Mike’s bread and butter is primarily signage for homeowners, developers and municipalities. However, he is often commissioned to do unique projects.

“I've done cars, I've done fish, I've done crickets,” he said.

Artist or manufacturer; Mike's business is at a crossroads right now. Does he take that financial leap of faith to hire somebody to do the more routine sculpture so that he can be an artist? Or does he continue the production himself, leaving very little time to create? That is a decision that almost all entrepreneurs face at one point or another in their careers.

The cost of stone signage is based upon materials and volume, but the artistic sculpture is very difficult to price.

“The sculptural thing, that's a little bit more, It's such a high-end thing, its really a market that I've haven't established yet, but I'm working towards it,” Mike said.

A sculptor can work with simple hand tools, and power tools speed up the work. However, they are expensive. Mike has invested about $80,000 of his profits into the business and expects to spend about $20,000 more on tools.

“There's been very very little left over for me,” he said. “I live very, very simply.”

His favorite material is from his own backyard.

“I really appreciate Kansas limestone,” he said. “It's some of the most beautiful material that is out there.”

Mike says that while Kansans appreciate good art, they often don’t know they can find it locally. He and others often sell their wares and galleries in places like Santa Fe because there is a small local market. That’s one thing that he hopes isn’t set in stone.