Continual practice is the key to improvement… It also helps my mental well being immensely. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall…love ’em all. Getting consumed in this art is an easy thing to have happen. Here’s some recent creations ❤
Visited a new spot, far off the beaten path. Wandered for a while to get there…usually makes for better stone balancing. So much to see and investigate along the way. It’s like a mini journey close to home. Various angles of 2 builds
I built this little balance in Deschambault, Quebec Canada in June while there for the art exhibition – Dur comme d’la roche. I was fortunate to experience this event put on by the I documented it through photography as well as video. I downloaded all the images and data upon returning home to the USA and kinda forgot about it. Fortunately I stumbled across it recently…Put together this short piece together to highlight the ephemeral life of a stone balance along the St. Lawrence River or anywhere for that matter. The precarious ones usually don’t last very long, often succumbing to slight wind. I was fortunate to spend a few hours with this creation before its was gone forever 🙂
Press from the event:
My final selected image for this piece
Revisited an old favorite spot today. Round here, it was the first day of “buck deer season”… figured the odds of getting shot wandering a remote creek were highly probable, so I went to a location that I figured to be safe(r) and set to work. Kinda surprised to find some ice on the creek. Once my hands were in for a WHile, I was educated to the fact of how the ice had formed. I’ve been foregoing the rubber gloves as much as possible in favor of dexterity and well…basically procrastination. I know there’ll be plenty of days where going raw pawed won’t be as tolerable.
This is the Barronvale covered bridge in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. A beautiful spot visited by many. I’ve posted a few balance photos from here before (see comments). It’s a beautiful creek. Home to some awesome stones, quite unique in shapes and state of polish. If you’re ever in the area. Stop and check this place out. Particularly upstream from the covered bridge. Pick up a few stones…see what you come up with ❤
Spent a great deal of the morning stone balancing at Linn Run State Park, PA. It was a chilly morning. I was quickly reminded of early winter balancing. Not all wet rocks are simply wet. Some are actually covered in a thin coating of ice. I was carrying an arm load of rocks that I had collected when all of a sudden I was airborne. Took a hard spill draping myself over a large boulder and eventually coming to a rest after smashing my forearm against something. Laid on the ground for a minute composing myself before “walking it off” and chuckling a bit. Went to work balancing coming up with several completed pieces. Lighting wasn’t ideal, but I did the best I could. Eventually I was stiff enough to head home. Time for a little therapy to help with the bumps and bruises -Cheers
Didn’t make it to the park until around noon. Kinda glad I killed an extra pot of coffee because there was ice lingering on the “prime” location that caught my eye. It wasn’t too far off the beaten path, actually just below the spillway of the dam. Found the rocks to be rough and not polished. Blocky, not round. It posed a different set of challenges than normal, but in the end I managed a couple balances. Not a bad spot for photos, lots of cool top rocks. Now just to hone my skills on this texture and style of stone. Stay tuned 🙂
I spent the day at Ohiopyle State Park enjoying the fall conditions and creating some stone balances. Here’s a video of the balance process and a few photos of finished balances from the day. Enjoy
It’s nearly the tail end of Autumn in Pennsylvania. I was fortunate enough to spend today enjoying mild fall weather in one of my favorite local creeks. Nothing short of spectacular and highlighted by a mid afternoon rain storm.
Creation is one step of the process. Restoration is another. Leave no trace ❤
It seemed to happen overnight. The familiar change from warm, summer waters to chilly creeks and vibrant color. Hit the woods early yesterday morning to take advantage of the clear and calm conditions. I believe that waders will be the norm from now on. Downright cold…Brrr. Stone balancing conditions with vigor. Hot coffee was a requirement. Eventually the sun crept into my little nook and provided a whole new level of smiles. A few photos… different angles, colorations, variations. Good stuff for my soul 🙂
KeyStone Balance 