“The generic term for stone compositions is ishigumi (石組; a.p. sekigumi “rock group”; iwagumi 岩組 “boulder group”), although it can imply the overall art of arranging and setting rocks in a skillful and thoughtful manner.”

source: http://www.japanesegardensonline.com/Site/Garden_rocks.html

I’ve always wondered, as have many others along the way, if there is a specific name under which to classify stone balance. Through all my research over the years, “Ishigumi” is the first word I’ve found which actually refers to arranging rocks in various ways…

“Nobody knows the insides and outs;
Nobody knows what’s behind the scenes.
Nobody knows about the hardships and sorrows;
Nobody knows about the dreams…”

Guru (of Gangstarr) from Jazzmatazz vol.2

Sometimes I lose faith in everything. Sometimes i wanna delete my facebook account. Sometimes i feel absolutely fucking insane. but then i find my happy place playing with rocks.. Plus i enjoy sharing my work with all of you… Peace.

I love seeing the difference between completely dry or wet rocks.  Sometimes colors appear in pure dryness that are rich in their muted charm. For example, in this balance, wet rocks appear in tones of brown, while the same rocks dry have a subtle purple tint to them. Absolutely beautiful. Then the Black and White really highlights the form of the balance, which in this case, is especially sleek and beautiful. Perfect in its imperfection. Wabi-Sabi. :)