KeyStone Balance

Linn Run balancing 11.18.16

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

Laurel Hill State Park

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 🙂

Creation – the process (video)

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

 

Autumn’s tail end

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.

Boom, its fall

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 🙂

Stone Balancing, Jacobs Creek 9.27.2016

Spent the few remaining hours of Tuesday stone balancing in Jacobs Creek. My schedule didn’t allow me much time to acclimatize with the surroundings. I much prefer to spend a few hours collecting stones, watching the light, and getting to know the personality of the location. I knew time/light were limited, so I gathered a few interesting stones and had a plethora of smaller stones within arms reach. The tinkering began… it was a bumpy ride, but ultimately I came up with a few designs before the last light was utilized. Here are the results. Hope you enjoy 🙂

Ohiopyle Stone Balancing 9.25.2016
photo2014105

Sept. 2014 – Ohiopyle State Park

Several years ago I created photo that I liked. Mostly it was the mood of the shot, the balance was basic by design and skill. Often I’ve toyed with reusing the location, but contemplated it being already “done”…besides it’s a high traffic area which usually prevents anything too complex from being completed. Yesterday, upon arrival at Ohiopyle…town was pretty low key. The air temperature was cooler which kept most people on the bike trail and out of the water. The sky was a brilliant blue, it was the right time of year…here was a near perfect opportunity to seize that “scene” from several years ago and improve. The first time I balanced and photographed here, it was simple luck and proper time.  Yesterday I had some forethought and experience to help guide my ideas and actions. The lighting is provided by a street light situated across the river. It created pure magic as it bounces across the rivers current. There’s also a railroad crossing to the right of the light which provided the red light in the other images. Happy that it all came together again 🙂

The “replica” shot
Balance #3
Sunset under the GAP trail
Streetlight and railroad crossing were the souces of light
Lastphoto

Recent works-Leave no trace

It’s been a busy summer for me.  I’ve been out doing my thing…sharing the magic. Creating in private as well as public areas…usually taking them down when I’m done for the day. If working on private property, I leave balances standing at the request of property owners. In public places such as parks, etc. I always dismantle what I’ve created. Doing so erases my presence as well as completes the cycle. “Leave no trace” seems to work best. It makes those moments more personal for those that happen to stumble upon me as I balance. It also allows those that prefer wilderness in its natural state to experience what they’ve come for. Leaving stone balances standing is like not cleaning up your toys as a child. There’s a great satisfaction in knowing that even the most devout “stack haters” couldn’t point out a location I’ve “damaged”. I question how something so simplistic, has sparked so much good and bad emotion in current society. As usual I’ll stick to the positive and chuckle at the negative… Enjoy 🙂

7.14.2016 Linn Run

After a few hours of frustration, found a combo of stones that inspired. Here are the results, which to me are kinda ehhh mixed. Personally I liked the top 3. Wanted to change stones 4,5,6 (counting down from the top) but ran out of daylight. Looks a tad “basic” in this configuration… but still something to smile about! Possibly revisit these agian someday soon.