u/802GreenMountains

Phyllite on Recycled Hickory

L-8”, W-3”, H-9”

L-8”, W-5”, H-5”

This is my 2nd Jasper find of the summer. While I really like the stone, I’m not convinced this daiza works and wonder if I should have started with a thicker piece of wood or just need a different design.

Schist on White Oak

L-6", W-5", H-12"

I really love the wood grain on this one.

L-4", W-2.5", H-11.5"

L-9”, W-5”, H-5.5”

This stone evoked a memory I haven’t thought about in years. I worked at a camp in Vermont after graduating from college. When I had a day off on a beautiful spring day, I decided to take an exploratory hike around the surrounding area. I was crossing a rocky ledge when I noticed a snake crawling up the rocks and heading towards the nearby woods. Then I noticed another, and another. I saw close to 25 in no more than 50 feet. There was a mix of brightly colored juveniles and darker adults, and there seemed to be several different species.

I realized they were emerging from a nearby den and was surprised that different species would be in such close proximity. I don’t remember now what they looked like, but I had seen rat, garter, and water snakes around the camp and I didn’t recognize any of these.

A few years later I was reading an article about the last surviving rattlesnake den in Vermont. Apparently it’s well known to a few, and its location a well guarded secret. They did mention what town it was in, which was right near the camp.

I’ll never be 100% certain I saw any rattlesnakes that day (I didn’t know there were any in Vermont before reading this), but I felt pretty fortunate to witness such a rare event.

Basalt on Cherry

L-7", W-5", H-12"

L-10", W-5", H-6"

Shoutout to my niece snailgirlceramics.com, who made the miniature bird and makes an array of lifelike miniatures of birds and other animals.

Concretion on Black Walnut

L-3”, W-3”, H-7”

Sandstone on Black Walnut

L-7”, W-3”, H-7”

This is one of those “I wonder if I can pull this off’ stones. I almost didn’t when I inadvertently came close to sanding one of the feet off. Fortunately there was enough there for it to do its job. Overall, this was a really fun stone to work even though there were many challenges and problems to solve.

L-4.5”, W-3.6”, H-4”

This stone looks like a delicious cream-filled pastry to me.

Aventurine on Black Walnut

Diameter-6”, H-9”

This is my favorite find so far this summer. This stone has many of the characteristics that capture my attention. The title refers to the blending of the green fuschite rich portion of the stone with the reddish brown hematite rich portion. These minerals have weathered differently, with the green more smooth while the reddish brown more angular.

This stone captures all that with an overall pleasing shape, interesting texture features, a nice patina, and good coloring. The stone could be a figure stone, with a range of possibilities that are viewer dependent. Or maybe it’s an old tree stump with moss and lichens growing on it, or maybe it’s petrified. There are many stories. That is why I like this stone.

Jasper on Sapele

L-10”, W-6.5”, H-5”

You’ll have to use your imagination a bit with this one, but at least it’s not green. This recent find was a real surprise because I hardly ever see any Jasper, and nothing nearly this big.

Schist and Shale on Black Walnut

L-3.5", W-3", H-8"

I made these stones a couple of years ago on the occasion of my sister and her husband's 50th anniversary.

L-4.5”, W-3”, H-7”

Just finished another green stone. Although I do love them, I think I need to do something different for my next one.

Serpentinite on Black Walnut

L-9”’ W-4.5”’ H-6”

This recent find got my attention due to the unusual pattern etched in its surface. These are scars formed during the stone’s violent journey down the river. When I first saw it, I immediately saw a War of the Worlds alien. Coupled with the stone’s overall shape, the whole stone just gives me an overall alien invasion vibe. I am interested to hear what others see.

Sandstone on Black Walnut

Diameter-4.5”, H-2”

My son asked to go on a hunt with me last summer and found this stone. He was really excited by it and couldn’t stop marveling at how nearly perfectly round it was. He asked if I’d make a daiza for it, so I thought I’d have a little fun with it.

Picasso Stone on Black Walnut

L-3.5”, W-3”, H-4.5”

I recently drove to Michigan to visit my in-laws. I noticed that a 5 acre hayfield behind their house had been newly cut and saw some rocks were exposed. I challenged myself to explore every inch of that field just to see if I could find anything interesting. Using “I’m taking the dog for a walk” as cover, I walked a grid over the next few days, but didn’t find anything noteworthy. Then on the proverbial last day, this stone found me.

I’ve never heard of or seen this type of stone before and am amazed by its colors, texture, fracture lines, and homage to surrealism. Challenge complete!

Metabasalt on Black Walnut

L-9”, W-3”, H-7”

This recent find really captivates me. I like when a stone challenges me to imagine what forces of nature worked to create such an unusual texture.

L-7”, W-4”, H-14”

This stone gives me an impressionistic painting vibe.

L-9”, W-5”, H-12.5”