“The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it.”  ~ Carl Jung

It seems that letting go of things was a central lesson in 2012. It has also been a part of learning as we begin 2013. Something I enjoy about stone balance is that it has a weird way of breaking ego. just when I seem to get ahead of myself, stone balance will remind me to slow down.

This is my first balance of 2013. A freezing day up at woods quarry… but as always, the experience was quiet and relaxing.. A cool part of this photo is that I inadvertently captured downtown Denver in the distant background… It looks like such a peaceful place from way up here… another reminder that perspective can change things quite a bit.

Something I like to incorporate into my balances, from a design perspective, is making the form flow as a whole. Just as with fabric squares in watercolor quilting, I like to fit rocks together in such ways as to become extensions of one another…  so they collectively radiate a certain energy through design. Another important aspect I enjoy is the tension that comes out of pushing limits of my own skill… often a greater challenge will induce more focused meditative states where breathing really becomes center of attention.  Without paying close attention to breath, the small changes in lung inflation are enough to unbalance my efforts as I brace the premature balance. SLOW BREATHING required.

btw, I find Carl Jung to be an incredible genius. His work and perspectives are highly inspirational both artistically and personally. I have also heard from credible sources that Carl Jung was himself interested in the art of Stone Balance and has even written briefly about the practice.  Though, I do not know this for certain… anyone with more insight into this, let me know!

“Each work grows, stays, decays – integral parts of a cycle which the photograph shows at its heights, marking the moment when the work is most alive. There is an intensity about a work at its peak that I hope is expressed in the image. Process and decay are implicit.”
~Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy has been a great inspiration since I discovered his work.  I didn’t know he existed until many people, after seeing me work in the creek, insisted that I research the name…. glad I did :)

This particular quote cannot have been said any better in my opinion.. It describes with much precision the creative and photographic process of involved in my own work as well. It is nice to know that someone I look to for inspiration can articulate my experience so well.. :)

Ballerina..

Do not stand
at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds
that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight
on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the
morning’s hush
I am the soft uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star that
shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there.
I did not die.

— Anonymous

Hmmm… where does one begin..?

I spent today in the silence of the mountains again..

Seemed like an ordinary day… until I arrived home and caught wind of today’s tragic events. Yet another mass school shooting..? This time in an elementary school..?

I have very few words to explain my feelings about this… so I leave you with my photo of rocks. Balanced and left in silence, probably as many children lost their lives..

Sad. Tragic. Surprising. Not surprising. This culture is beyond sick and has been as long as I can remember… which is why I tend to detach from the regular grind of commerce and consumer culture… also why many know me as a “space cadet”… like this afternoon for example.

I feel a deep sadness in my heart when I think of all those kids… They must have been so excited for Christmas with their families… not to mention how devastated the families must feel.

Death of ANYONE always touches me deeply. Not in a negative way… but more so in a “i wish you well brother” kind of way… Every time someone dies, I look at it as a reminder of my own impending death, along with my infinite blessings.  A reminder to be humble and observant… appreciative for this moment of breath. And contentment in the possibility that I may NOT be alive tomorrow, or even 5 minutes from now…

But even then, I am not really dead. I will have simply BECOME all of those fleeting moments of beauty described in the above poem..  :)

For this last image, I love the wave that this cloud made through the sky around twilight. slightly ominous. But quite enchanting as well. Almost as if the cloud recognized the balance and posed accordingly for the picture…

Everything is fine in a land outside time… in the land of NOW.

“Honor the past as your teacher, honor the present as your creation, and honor the future as your inspiration.”

“Medicine Cards: 24 – Crow (Contrary)”

It’s been an interesting week of learning to say the least. The media attention to my site felt both exhilarating and overwhelming. Such an amazing feeling to have so many people interested in my creations!

Since the most recent Full Moon I seem to be more easily excitable.. I’m noticing myself smiling more often, even laughing with a playful appreciation.  Could also be that I’m just noticing it more than before too..

This is one of the more difficult systems of balance I’ve created so far.  I find it slightly confounding to contemplate and explain the method of making this.  The horizontal base slab was the length of my arm (~2.5 feet) and way too heavy to lift with one arm.  Another case where the creation of this structure was only possible with the consciousness of all previous balance experience…

This arrangement (in the Black and White photo) is the 3rd of three structures I built today. Each one evolving slightly from the last.

Here is the FIRST one of the day…

here is the SECOND one..

I started the day with a desire for silence from excessive mind-chatter and anxiety.

Finished the day with a sense of stillness. :)

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

~ Dale Carnegie

This balance came into being only after a necessary collapse of another orb I was building. I was placing the last rocks to finalize my orb and one tiny rock unexpectedly collapsed the whole glob of rocks. The collapse was unfortunate but a blessing in disguise. I spent all afternoon highly tuned into my orb construction. rock after rock after rock. silence. Collapse was late in the day so I had little time left to balance something. PLAY TIME.

I love how this counterbalance spirals up toward a singularity of weight.  The nature of balancing in this style involves fractal thinking.  The whole system above the first/biggest horizontal block must be enough weight to balance it.  The pattern continues up toward the singular top rock.  It’s placement does not require any counterbalancing AND is the crucial component in stabilizing the whole system.  It balances ALL levels.

As long as the levels alternate back and forth like this the rocks appear to naturally seek the system’s center of gravity and balance.  The first and heaviest level is way off to the left extreme of balance.  Then the next level up in both distance and mass shows the right extreme of balance. Then back to the left, but this time it narrows closer to the “limit”, which is where balance takes over.  Then back again to the right but narrows even further toward balance.  The pattern can continue, and would approach a more precise center of the system with each level going up… I feel like this has Phi and Fibonacci written all over it..

“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”

~ St. Francis of Assisi

I always have special experiences when I hike up to Woods Quarry, which is a short hike out of Boulder, CO. I knew there would be a full moon tonight but had no idea when it would rise. Being able to shoot the real thing with its inspired creation turned out to be a pleasing alignment of elements.  It is usually best to have no expectations when I head out on a creative venture.  I started a bit late in the day so I didn’t assume to have any substantial time for a to complete a project…

I had never attempted the ball arrangement before. Got completely experimental… All I knew was that I’d seen pictures of them before. And I thought it fitting to create one in light of the Full Moon.  I had many balls of various sizes constructed, but many kept blowing over in the wind.  This one was the only one large and heavy enough to resist the gusty wind.  The timing and placement of everything was perfect as soon as I saw the moon rise. A moment I like to call “divine alignment” :)

This photo was taken earlier this evening. The lighting was achieved using a remote and remote flash.