The artist uses chisels, drills and other tools to carve shapes into the stone. Michelangelo said it was merely the art of chipping away the bits that didn’t belong, what was left was the sculpture. What was easy for Michelangelo is difficult for the rest of us. The expense of the stone, the physical effort involved and the time necessary to achieve the result make this a medium not to be explored casually. Marble is the finest of the carving stones. Unlike floor tiling, strong colors and natural fractures are undesirable. Since ancient times the finest carving marble comes from the mountains of Carrara in Italy.